Democratic Republic of the Congo

Background reviewed 2026-10-23 · Background as of 2026-10

Background

Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has seen armed conflict for three decades, involving more than a hundred armed groups and the involvement of neighbouring states. The M23 armed group resumed fighting in late 2021; the question of foreign support for it is a central issue in regional diplomacy.

In January and February 2025 M23 and its political wing, the AFC, captured Goma and Bukavu, the two main cities of North and South Kivu. The DRC and Rwanda signed a US-brokered peace agreement in June 2025, and a separate framework between the DRC government and AFC/M23 was negotiated in Doha. Fighting continued despite these agreements, including around Uvira in December 2025.

History

The Democratic Republic of the Congo became independent from Belgium in 1960 and was ruled by Mobutu Sese Seko, who renamed it Zaire, from 1965 until 1997. Following the 1994 genocide in neighbouring Rwanda, armed groups and refugees crossed into eastern Congo, and two regional wars from 1996 to 2003 drew in the armies of several African states.

The UN peacekeeping mission, known since 2010 as MONUSCO, has been one of the largest in the world. Eastern provinces such as North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri remain affected by many armed groups, competition over land and minerals such as gold, tin and coltan, and cross-border tensions. The M23 rebellion first rose in 2012, was defeated in 2013, and re-emerged in 2021.

Main parties

Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) — National army, supported by allied “Wazalendo” militias.
AFC/M23 — Armed group and political coalition that took Goma and Bukavu in 2025.
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — Armed group affiliated with the Islamic State, active in North Kivu and Ituri.
MONUSCO — UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC.

Key dates

1996-10 — The First Congo War begins.
1998-08 — The Second Congo War begins, drawing in several African states; it formally ends in 2003.
2012-11 — M23 briefly occupies Goma.
2021-11 — M23 resumes fighting in North Kivu.
2025-01-27 — M23 enters Goma.
2025-02-16 — M23 takes control of Bukavu.
2025-06-27 — The DRC and Rwanda sign a peace agreement in Washington.
2025-12 — Leaders of the DRC and Rwanda sign accords in Washington; M23 forces enter Uvira and later announce a withdrawal.

Humanitarian situation

The DRC has one of the largest displaced populations in the world. Fighting in the Kivu provinces and Ituri, along with outbreaks of disease such as cholera and mpox, has created very high humanitarian needs, and sexual violence is widely reported.

How to read reports about Democratic Republic of the Congo

Control of towns can change quickly; a place named in a report is not necessarily held by either side.
Allegations of foreign support for armed groups are left to the linked reports.

Recent events

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