Congo War Security Review, June 26, 2026

Data Cutoff: June 26, 2026, at 1 P.M. EST

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Key Takeaway: The DRC, Rwanda, and observer nations convened for the sixth Joint Oversight Committee meeting under the Washington Accords. The United States sanctioned several entities and individuals accused of smuggling minerals from M23-controlled areas to Rwanda. M23-aligned militia fighters reportedly repelled a pro-Congolese government offensive on Minembwe town in the South Kivu highlands. Development finance institutions are set to release funds for a major US-backed hydropower project on the border between the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi.

Kinetic Activity in Rutshuru & Eastern Masisi Districts

Nothing significant to report.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia 

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

M23-aligned militia fighters reportedly repelled a pro-Congolese government offensive in the South Kivu highlands. CTP reported previously that the Congolese army (FARDC), Burundian army (FDNB), and pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters claimed that they captured several villages near Minembwe in mid-June, as part of an offensive launched on June 10 to encircle and capture the town from M23-aligned Twirwaneho militia fighters.[1] Twirwaneho reportedly launched a counteroffensive around June 19, however, and retained control of Minembwe center, pushing back pro-Congolese government forces and retaking several positions on the outskirts of Minembwe, as fighting continued into June 20.[2] Videos that circulated on social media purportedly showed Charles Sematama, Twirwaneho’s military commander, present in Minembwe on June 20.[3] M23-aligned media sources claimed that Twirwaneho destroyed or seized weaponry, inflicted significant casualties on pro-Congolese government forces, particularly the FDNB, and took prisoners, including Belgian mercenaries, in the counteroffensive.[4] Burundian media citied unverified reports on June 21 that the FDNB abandoned military equipment as the offensive collapsed and they withdrew from Kakenge village near Minembwe.[5] Pro-Congolese government forces denied that Twirwaneho captured or injured two FARDC colonels during Twirwaneho’s counteroffensive, however.[6] One pro-Congolese government source and possible FARDC soldier said on social media that the DRC coalition’s attempt to take Minembwe failed because of the lack of sustained air support amid the rebels’ counteroffensive.[7]

Fighting between Twirwaneho and DRC coalition forces reportedly resumed as Twirwaneho recaptured at least one position near Kakenge on June 21, before continuing on June 22 near Kalingi and Ilundu villages near Minembwe, near Point Zéro—about 15 miles east of Minembwe—and in Mikenge, which is about 15 miles north of the town on the RP527.[8] Pro-Congolese government media sources claimed on social media on June 21 that the Rwandan government recently supplied ammunition and military equipment to Twirwaneho and has deployed drones to target pro-DRC positions around Minembwe.[9] Lawrence Kanyuka, M23’s spokesman, claimed in a statement on social media that pro-Congolese government forces bombed Bidegu village near Minembwe on June 22 and 23 using one-way attack and KT-6 drones, as well as airstrikes on Kakenge and Mikenge on June 23, as fighting on the ground between the two sides reportedly continued on June 22.[10] Two pro-Congolese government sources claimed on social media on June 23 that drones operated by M23-aligned forces conducted attacks around Minembwe.[11] The two sides reportedly clashed again on a hilltop near Minembwe on June 24.[12] Pro-Congolese media sources claimed that drones operated by M23-aligned forces carried out attacks on pro-DRC forces in several positions around Minembwe on June 24 and 25.[13] One pro-Congolese government source claimed on social media that an aircraft that departed from an airport in southwestern Rwanda supplied M23-aligned forces via the Minembwe airfield on June 24.[14] Pro-Congolese government forces reportedly conducted drone strikes on Twirwaneho positions in Ilundu near Minembwe and at the airfield on June 24.[15] One M23-aligned media source claimed on social media that the FDNB deployed hundreds of additional troops to the DRC on June 24.[16] Twirwaneho and M23 claimed that pro-Congolese government forces targeted health facilities and the hospital in Minembwe using combat drones strikes between June 24 and 26.[17] Pro-Congolese government media sources claimed that FARDC “Black Snake” special force units and Wazalendo fighters retook several positions from Twirwaneho, including Kalingi, Kawera and Kitavi, during fighting that continued on June 25.[18]

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Masisi district in North Kivu. M23 reportedly clashed with a coalition of Wazalendo groups in an area near Bibatama village in the Kibabi group in southern Masisi on June 19 and 20.[19] Bibatama is roughly 12 miles west of Rubaya town on a local road. M23 then reportedly repelled a Wazalendo attack north of Masisi town. The Congolese media outlet Kivu Morning Post reported that M23 repelled the incursion on Loashi village, which is around four miles north of Masisi town on the RP529, on June 25.[20]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

M23 and pro-Congolese government forces clashed in the Luindi chiefdom in northern Mwenga district in South Kivu. M23 reportedly clashed with FARDC and Wazalendo fighters in Kashaka village, which is near Kigogo village, and on the RN2 near Ngenga village on June 21.[21] The last reported clash between M23 and pro-Congolese government forces in Luindi was in May 2026.[22] Kashaka is about four miles south of Kasika village, which is the seat of the Luindi chiefdom, on a local road.[23] One pro-Congolese government source and possible FARDC soldier said on social media on June 24 that FARDC special force units are deployed in the area for operations against M23.[24]

Major Political Developments

The DRC, Rwanda, and observer nations convened for the sixth Joint Oversight Committee (JOC) meeting under the Washington Accords. Representatives from the DRC and Rwanda, along with Qatar, Togo as the African Union (AU) mediator, and the United States, met in London, England for the six JOC meeting on June 24.[25] The fifth JOC meeting took place in late April.[26] The DRC briefed on its efforts to neutralize the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR), while Rwanda briefed on progress to withdraw its troops and materiel from eastern DRC, as part the dual-sided military plan under the Washington Accords.[27] The readout from the June 24 meeting said that the JOC reviewed developments since April and expressed “serious concern” over continued fighting and the impact of drone strikes on civilians and the peace efforts.[28] The readout said that the two sides agreed to fully implement the accords, including with respect to drone strikes, and de-escalate tensions around Minembwe.[29] The two sides agreed to take several steps to operationalize the ceasefire verification mechanism and support its deployment for the first verification mission.[30] The DRC and Rwanda agreed to share intelligence and “reach a shared understanding” on the next steps in military operations to implement the accords through the Joint Security Coordination Mechanism (JSCM).[31] The readout said that the next JSCM meeting will take place within the next 15 days.[32] The two sides agreed to support the “successful conclusion” of peace talks between the DRC and M23 and refrain from “hostile actions or rhetoric” that undermines mutual trust and the implementation of the accords, including “political attacks or language.”[33] DRC President Félix Tshisekedi had criticized Rwanda and said that the Congolese government would soon retake Goma and Bukavu by force in a speech in the United States on June 17.[34] Kanyuka denounced Tshisekedi’s comments as a “break with the spirit of the ceasefire” under the Doha process in a statement on social media on June 18.[35]

The United States sanctioned several entities and individuals accused of smuggling minerals from M23-controlled areas to Rwanda. The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on June 25 on two individuals and four entities accused of working with M23 to smuggle minerals, particularly gold, from the eastern DRC to Rwanda.[36] The Treasury Department and officials from the US State Department said that the designation supported the implementation of the Washington Accords framework.

Burundian President Évariste Ndayishimiye traveled to Kinshasa, the Congolese capital, for a two-day state visit between June 22 and 24. Tshisekedi received Ndayishimiye at the Kinshasa airport on June 22, met with him behind closed doors on June 22 and 23, then held a joint press conference on June 23.[37] Tshisekedi’s office said that the two heads of state discussed the security situation in the eastern DRC and the response to the Ebola outbreak.[38] Ndayishimiye called on the DRC to remain united in the fight against a “common enemy.”[39] Tshisekedi announced on the sidelines of Ndayishimiye’s visit that he will soon travel to Ituri province, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak, to assess the situation.[40]

Burundi is a key military ally for the Congolese government and currently holds the rotating AU presidency. Burundi often supports positions defended by the DRC in various regional forums. The FDNB had at least 18,000 troops deployed alongside Congolese forces before M23 captured Uvira town in South Kivu in December 2025.[41] The FNDB initiated a withdrawal from the eastern DRC after M23 withdrew from Uvira under US pressure in early 2026 but has since redeployed several thousand troops to South Kivu alongside Congolese forces. The FDNB currently has more than 6,000 troops on Congolese soil, according to several security sources who spoke to the French magazine Jeune Afrique in mid-June.[42] CTP reported previously that the FDNB had deployed two additional FDNB battalions, or as many as 1,300 troops, to South Kivu as part of a broader pro-Congolese government troop buildup that began in mid-May after M23 withdrew from its position in the Ruzizi Plain under US pressure.[43] Pro-Congolese government forces are allegedly sharing or supplying FDNB military contingents with drones for the fight against Twirwaneho in the South Kivu highlands.[44] The Burundian media outlet SOS Médias Burundi cited unverified reports from Congolese security sources on June 12 and 21 who claimed that the Congolese government recently offered Burundi additional “benefits related to gold mining” in Minembwe and other mining areas in Fizi district in exchange for increased military support to help the DRC regain control of areas controlled by Twirwaneho.[45]

The United Arab Emirates reportedly may have recently transported military equipment or drones to Kinshasa. Open-source analyst Rich Tedd reported on social media that a Moldova-based cargo aircraft conducted two separate flights from the Al Reef Airbase in Abu Dhabi to Kinshasa on June 25 and 26, possibly transporting military cargo intended for the FARDC.[46]

The DRC and Rwanda agreed to revamp efforts to resolve regional refugee issues. Technical experts and ministers from the DRC, Rwanda, and the UN met in Ethiopia to discuss the voluntary repatriation of refugees hosted by both countries from June 20 to 22.[47] The parties adopted a roadmap for the rest of 2026 and 2027 to coordinate responsibilities, outline benchmarks, and establish a timeline for refugees to return to each country.[48] The two sides committed to voluntarily repatriate 10,000 refugees in the second half of 2026.[49] The new agreement outlines a plan for over 3,600 Rwandan refugees in the southern part of South Kivu to use transit routes and the Kamanyola border crossing on the DRC-Rwanda-Burundi border to return to Rwanda.[50] The Congolese government committed to facilitating safe passage to this border crossing.[51] The DRC has yet to repatriate Congolese refugees hosted in Rwanda, and the roadmap requires the Congolese government to identify and prioritize areas for refugee populations to return starting in October 2026.[52] The parties will meet quarterly starting in September 2026 to discuss repatriation and will hold another high-level meeting in June 2027.[53] The new roadmap builds on a previous trilateral commitment to facilitate refugee repatriation. Rwanda has repatriated thousands of people following a July 2025 agreement between Rwanda, the DRC, and the UN to expedite refugee repatriation in line with the Washington Accords.[54] Over 8,000 Rwandan refugees have returned from the DRC since January 2025, including more than 2,000 in 2026.[55]

Significant US-Backed Regional Economic Activity

Development finance institutions are set to release funds for a major US-backed hydropower project on the border between the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi. CTP reported previously that the Ruzizi III hydropower dam, the flagship project under the US-brokered Regional Economic Integration Framework in the tri-border area, has faced delays since mid-2025, in part due to the Congolese government.[56] The DRC reportedly refused to approve a key accreditation that would allow the project to move forward.[57] The project, which is developed as a public-private partnership between the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi, will cost $760 million and benefit about 30 million people across the Burundi, the DRC, and Rwanda.[58] The United States formally asked the DRC, Rwanda, and Burundi to move forward with the project amid delays in mid-March.[59] The French investigative outlet Africa Intelligence reported on June 24 that the project has seen progress in recent weeks, after the DRC’s water and energy minister began advocating in May that the Congolese government take measures to move the project forward.[60] Africa Intelligence reported that the European Investment Bank is poised to commit millions of dollars in grants to cover the project’s operations in the next few weeks, while ongoing negotiations with the US Development Finance Corporation may yield an additional $1.5 million in funding.[61] Africa Intelligence reported that negotiations to finalize the project’s financials are tentatively expected to conclude in late December 2026, with construction slated to begin in early 2027.[62] Solutions to previous concerns about security seem to have been relegated to future discussions. French media reported in late March and early April that the DRC and Rwanda discussed a US proposal to establish a demilitarized done around the site during US-hosted meetings between the DRC and Rwanda in mid-March.[63] Africa Intelligence reported on June 24 that project stakeholders have deprioritized the requirement of a security presence on the DRC side of the border at least until late 2027.[64]