Congo War Security Review

Data Cutoff: December 5, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

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Read CTP’s full analysis on the DRC-M23 peace framework in DRC-M23 Doha Peace Framework—A Long Road Ahead: Africa File Special Edition.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.     

Key Takeaway: The DRC and Rwanda formally signed the US-backed regional peace framework. M23 ground forces advanced southward on the RN5 in South Kivu. M23 made separate advances in southern Walungu district to the west of the RN5. M23 repelled pro-Congolese government Wazalendo attacks on the outskirts of Bukavu in South Kivu.

Kinetic Activity in M23-Controlled Areas

Nothing significant to report.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia   

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces on the frontlines in South Kivu for the fourth consecutive day. M23 had launched large-scale offensives in two frontline areas and clashed with the Congolese army (FARDC), pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters, and Burundian army (FDNB) troops on December 2 and 3.[i] Thousands of people have reportedly fled the fighting near the RN5 in recent days.[ii] The two sides exchanged artillery fire and clashed again in the tri-border area between Kamanyola and Katagota villages about 30 miles south of Bukavu along the RN5 on December 4 and 5.[iii] The FARDC claimed on December 4 that it killed “several hundred” M23 fighters on the frontlines.[iv] M23 claimed on December 4 that it had captured over 100 Burundian soldiers along the RN5.[v] M23 reportedly shelled government-controlled areas southeast of Kamanyola, with some of its artillery stationed in Nyangezi—about 20 miles north of Kamanyola on the RN5.[vi] M23 reportedly shot down a Turkish-made FARDC attack drone over Katagota on December 4.[vii] The group fired projectiles that fell on the Burundian side of the border in at least two towns in western Burundi’s Cibitoke province around December 5.[viii] M23 accused the FDNB of shelling its positions in Kamanyola for several days from Burundian territory.[ix] Pro-Congolese government forces reportedly bombed an M23-controlled telecommunications tower north of Kamanyola on December 5.[x]

M23 ground forces advanced southward on the RN5. The precise lines of territorial control are unclear, but M23 reportedly retained control of Kamanyola and parts of Katagota during the reporting period, despite several pro-Congolese government attempts to dislodge the group from Katagota and retake Kamanyola.[xi] The group redeployed additional troops to the Kamanyola frontline via the RN5 from Bukavu and Lake Kivu around December 4, as fighting reached Luvungi—a key forward position for pro-Congolese government forces five miles south of Katagota —on December 4.[xii] Civilians fled en masse from Luvungi toward Burundi and southward on the RN5 on December 4.[xiii] M23 shelled Luvungi and Lubarika village, about five miles northwest of Luvungi on a local road, before reportedly taking control of the two villages on December 5.[xiv]

M23 made advances in the Kaziba chiefdom in southern Walungu to the west of the RN5. Pro-Congolese government forces had thwarted M23’s attempt to break through their positions in Kaziba to capture Luvungi on the RN5 when the rebel group launched its initial attacks on December 2.[xv] The two sides clashed again in Kaziba on December 4 and 5.[xvi] The FARDC used fighter jets and attack drones to bombard M23 positions in several villages in Kaziba.[xvii] M23 captured several key positions in Kaziba and the adjacent Bafuliru chiefdom in Uvira district after dislodging pro-Congolese government forces on December 4, before FARDC-Wazalendo forces reportedly halted their advance.[xviii] The Congolese army claimed that it repelled an M23 attempt to advance from Kaziba and capture Rurambo village, which is roughly 13 miles west of Luvungi on the RN5 on a local road, on December 4.[xix]

M23 repelled Wazalendo attacks on the outskirts of Bukavu. M23 reportedly repelled a Wazalendo incursion in the Mudaka group, about 12 miles north of Bukavu center in Kabare district on the RN2, on December 4.[xx]

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

Nothing significant to report.

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

Nothing significant to report.

Major Political Developments   

The DRC and Rwanda formally signed the US-backed regional peace framework. US President Donald Trump hosted DRC President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington, DC, to ratify the US-backed peace framework—referred to as the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity—on December 4.[xxi] The African Union, France, Qatar, and the UN mission in the DRC commended the signing on December 4.[xxii] The Washington Accords consist of the Declaration of Principles agreement from April 25, the Peace Agreement from June 27, the Regional Integration Economic Framework (REIF) from November 7, and separate bilateral agreements between the United States and the DRC and Rwanda.[xxiii] Foreign ministers from the DRC and Rwanda formally signed the REIF on December 4.[xxiv] The REIF centers on regional cooperation in various economic sectors, namely energy, infrastructure, mineral supply chains, conservation, public health.[xxv] The United States also signed separate bilateral agreements with the DRC and Rwanda on December 4. The United States signed a bilateral economic deal and a memorandum of understanding for a security partnership with the DRC.[xxvi] The United States also signed a bilateral economic deal with Rwanda.[xxvii]

Data Cutoff: December 3, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

To receive the Africa File and Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribe here.   

Follow CTP on X, LinkedIn, and BlueSky for daily updates.

Read CTP’s full analysis on the DRC-M23 peace framework in DRC-M23 Doha Peace Framework—A Long Road Ahead: Africa File Special Edition.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.     

Key Takeaway: M23 launched offensives on pro-Congolese government forces on two axes on the frontlines near the RN5 in South Kivu. M23 advanced westward in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park near the RN2 and RN3 roads in South Kivu. M23 attacked Wazalendo fighters near Nyabiondo in Masisi district in North Kivu. M23 reportedly advanced southward to Mwenga town in South Kivu.

Kinetic Activity in M23-Controlled Areas

Nothing significant to report.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia   

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie 

M23 launched offensives on pro-Congolese government forces on two axes on the frontlines near the RN5 in South Kivu. M23 reportedly attacked Congolese army (FARDC) and pro-Congolese government Wazalendo positions using heavy and light weaponry near Lwanguku town in the Kaziba chiefdom in Walungu district on December 2.[i] The fighting wounded dozens of civilians and killed more than 20 people in at least five village groups in eastern Kaziba on December 2.[ii] FARDC-Wazalendo forces reportedly repelled the attacks in Kaziba and targeted M23 positions using attack drones and fighter jets on December 2.[iii] The two sides clashed again in Kaziba and in the adjacent Bafuliru chiefdom in Uvira district on December 3.[iv] M23 has partially controlled Kaziba—roughly 30 miles south of Bukavu—since a late April offensive in southern Walungu.

M23 had reportedly reinforced its positions in Kaziba before conducting the attacks and tried to break through enemy positions and advance southeast to Lubarika village in Bafuliru chiefdom and then five miles further to Luvungi town on the RN5 in the Ruzizi Plain.[v] Unconfirmed reports on social media claimed that M23 captured Lubarika on December 2.[vi] Luvungi is a key position for FARDC-Wazalendo fighters and Burundian army (FDNB) forces on the RN5 to block an M23 advance on Uvira town. The FARDC denied a report that the area commander  demanded that Wazalendo fighters withdraw from Luvungi to the surrounding hills when fighting intensified.[vii]

M23 conducted separate attacks on pro-Congolese government positions north of Luvungi on the RN5. M23 forces reportedly attacked FARDC-Wazalendo and FDNB forward positions in Katagota village on December 2.[viii] Katagota is about 35 miles south of Bukavu and three miles south of M23’s forward position in Kamanyola, which the group has controlled since the lines of territorial control largely froze on the RN5 in late February and March. Some Burundian soldiers reportedly abandoned their positions on the frontline on December 2.[ix] M23 had reportedly militarized the RN5 south of Bukavu and deployed hundreds of troops and advanced military equipment to the frontline in the days prior to launching the attacks.[x] A pro-Congolese government reporter cited a local humanitarian source who claimed that new M23 recruits were “being pushed to the frontlines” during the fighting.[xi]

Pro-Congolese government forces reportedly counterattacked and pushed M23 back toward Kamanyola on December 2.[xii] The two sides clashed again on the frontlines around Katagota on December 3, reportedly close to the Kamanyola bridge on the Luvinvi River and on the hills surrounding Katagota—including in Lubarika and parts of eastern Kaziba—with neither side making significant advances.[xiii] Both sides used artillery, and pro-Congolese government artillery attacks on M23 positions in Kamanyola reportedly injured civilians and caused extensive damage to private property on December 2 and 3.[xiv] Hundreds of civilians fled north from Katogota, Lubarika, and Luvungi toward Kamanyola and the border with Rwanda.[xv] Rwanda closed a border crossing point near the conflict zone on December 2 before reopening it on December 3.[xvi] Burundian media reported that Burundian soldiers prevented some civilians from seeking refuge in Burundi amid the heavy clashes.[xvii]

M23 advanced westward in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park near the RN2 and RN3 roads in South Kivu. M23 reportedly attacked Wazalendo fighters in a remote area near Tshivanga village in Kahuzi-Biega and advanced an unspecified distance westward in Kahuzi-Biega toward Bunyankiri on the RN3 axis on December 2.[xviii] Tshivanga is about five miles west of the Kavumu airport on the RN2 in Kabare. The Congolese media outlet Acutalite.cd reported that residents in Bitale village, which is about 12 miles south of Bunyankiri on the RN3, fled due to M23’s advances.[xix] The Congolese media outlet Radio Maendeleo reported separately that Wazalendo fighters attacked M23 near the southern edge of Kahuzi Biega in the Cirunga group in Kabare district—about six miles west of Bukavu center—on December 2.[xx]

M23-aligned militia fighters clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in the highlands in southern South Kivu. M23-aligned Twirwaneho fighters reportedly clashed with Wazalendo fighters in two remote villages south of Minembwe town in Fizi district on December 1 and 2.[xxi] Twirwaneho fighters had previously attacked Wazalendos in several villages south of Minembwe in late November.[xxii] The FARDC claimed on December 2 that it separately recaptured from Twirwaneho fighters a village northeast of Minembwe near the RP527.[xxiii]

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani

M23 attacked Wazalendo fighters near Nyabiondo in Masisi district in North Kivu. Actualite.cd reported that M23 attacked Wazalendo positions in Kinyumba, about three miles north of Kinyumba, on December 2.[xxiv] The FARDC reportedly conducted an airstrike on an M23 position in a village near Nyabiondo during the clashes on December 2.[xxv] M23 had reinforced its positions in Lukweti—ten miles north of Kinyumba on a local road—around December 1, after Wazalendo fighters recaptured Kinyumba from M23 in late November.[xxvi]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu

M23 reportedly advanced southward to Mwenga town in South Kivu. French state media reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters and FDNB troops in Mwenga town and Kasika—about 14 miles north of Mwenga on the RN2—on December 2.[xxvii] M23 had captured Kasika on November 26 before reportedly advancing within a few miles of Mwenga town in late November.[xxviii] Senior M23 officials claimed on social media on December 2 that pro-Congolese government forces initiated the engagements.[xxix]

Major Political Developments   

Nothing significant to report.

Data Cutoff: December 1, 2025, at 1 P.M. EST

To receive the Africa File and Congo War Security Review via email, please subscribe here.   

Follow CTP on X, LinkedIn, and BlueSky for daily updates.

Read CTP’s full analysis on the recent agreement between the Congolese government and M23 rebels in DRC-M23 peace framework in DRC-M23 Doha Peace Framework—A Long Road Ahead: Africa File Special Edition.

Read CTP’s latest analysis on the war in the eastern DRC in the weekly Africa File here.     

Key Takeaway: The United States will host the Congolese and Rwandan presidents to sign the US-backed peace framework on December 4. M23 advanced toward the Mwenga district capital in South Kivu. M23 clashed with Congolese army and pro-Congolese government Wazalendo fighters near the border between Masisi and Walikale districts in North Kivu. M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in several areas along the RP529 in North Kivu.

Kinetic Activity in M23-Controlled Areas     

M23 repelled a pro-Congolese government Wazalendo attack in Rutshuru district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Kivu Morning Post reported that Wazalendo fighters attacked M23 positions in Kyahemba village, about nine miles northwest of Kitchanga on the RP1030, in the Bukombo group in Bwito chiefdom in Rutshuru district on November 24.[i] M23 has clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Bukombo frequently since around mid-October.

M23 allegedly killed nearly 80 civilians in Rutshuru in late November. A Congolese non-governmental organization told the Congolese media outlet NouveauMedia.cd on November 29 that M23 “executed” at least 78 civilians near Kibirizi village in northern Bwito between November 26 and 28.[ii] CTP is unable to verify this claim. CTP assessed previously that M23 has used indiscriminate violence to intimidate civilians as part of its wider campaign against pro-Congolese government militia fighters in areas that it controls in 2025.[iii]

M23 killed an armed fighter in Sake town in Masisi district in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Kivu Morning Post reported that an M23 patrol unit killed an armed assailant suspected of looting during clashes in the Bikali neighborhood in Sake town in Masisi on November 23.[iv] M23 has conducted frequent clearing and patrol operations in Sake in 2025.

Northern Axis: Lubero-Butembo-Beni-Bunia   

Nothing significant to report.

Southern Axis: Bukavu-Uvira-Baraka-Kalemie 

M23 reportedly killed at least a dozen suspected Wazalendo fighters near Katana on the RN2 in South Kivu. Congolese media and officials reported that M23 “summarily executed” between eight to 22 people described as civilians amid clashes with Wazalendo fighters in several villages near Katana on the RN2 in Kabare district on November 23.[v] A local non-governmental organization claimed that M23 executed the civilians for their alleged ties to a Wazalendo group.[vi] Wazalendo fighters have conducted multiple attacks on M23 positions near the RN2 in recent weeks.

Northwest Axis: Masisi-Walikale-Lubutu-Kisangani   

M23 clashed with Congolese army (FARDC) and Wazalendo fighters near the border between Masisi and Walikale districts in North Kivu. The Congolese media outlet Actualite.cd reported that an FARDC fighter jet bombed M23 positions in Kibanda, which is close to Kasopo village near the RP529, on November 21.[vii] M23 reportedly captured Mahanga village, about four miles south of Kasopo in Masisi, on November 22, after pro-Congolese forces had thwarted M23’s attempted capture of the village on November 21 .[viii] M23 then reportedly captured Buhimba village—about four miles west of Mahanga on a local road—in Walikale district on November 23, before the FARDC and Wazalendos conducted a counterattack and recaptured the village from M23 on November 24.[ix] Buhimba reportedly serves as an important supply point for pro-Congolese government forces.[x] Actualite.cd reported that M23 fighters from Kazinga—roughly eight miles southeast of Mahanga in Masisi—clashed with Wazalendos in Kautu village near Mahanga on November 24.[xi]

M23 clashed with pro-Congolese government forces in several areas along the RP529. Actualite.cd reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters near Nyabiondo town on November 23.[xii] Clashes reportedly intensified on November 27 and 28, when pro-Congolese government fighters attacked M23 around Nyabiondo and pushed M23 fighters back to Nyabiondo after capturing Kinyumba village—about three miles north of Nyabiondo.[xiii] Actualite.cd reported separately on December 1 that M23 began reinforcing its positions in Lukweti, which is about 10 miles north of Kinyumba on a local road, when it lost control of Kinyumba.[xiv] Wazalendo fighters reportedly attacked M23 using heavy and light weaponry in Kibati—14 miles west of Nyabiondo on the RP529—and nearby Kashebere village on the RP529 in Walikale on November 27.[xv] Kibati is M23’s forward operating position on the RP529. Congolese media reported that an FARDC fighter jet bombed M23 positions in Kibati and Kasopo in Masisi on November 27.[xvi]

M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters near the RP1030 in Masisi district. Kivu Morning Post reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Kalengera village, nine miles southwest of Mweso town, in Masisi district on November 23.[xvii] The outlet reported that M23 clashed with Wazalendos in Kivuye village on November 26.[xviii] Kivuye is about 13 miles southwest of Kashuga on the RP1030. M23 last clashed with Wazalendo fighters in Kivuye in early November, when Wazalendos reportedly attacked and dislodged M23 from the village.[xix] Wazalendo fighters then reportedly attacked M23 in Bweru village, which is about four miles northeast of Kivuye toward the RP1030, on November 27.[xx]

Wazalendo fighters repelled an M23 attack north of the RP1030 in Walikale district. Actualite.cd reported that Wazalendo fighters repelled an M23 attack in Mpombi village in the Kisimba group in Walikale on November 25.[xxi] Mpombi is about two miles north of Mpeti on the RP1030. Actualite.cd cited a local source who claimed that M23 fighters from Mpeti tried to bypass FARDC-Wazalendo positions on the RP1030 between Mpeti and Pinga to attack Pinga, a military and logistics hub on the RP1030, before Wazalendo fighters intercepted them and pushed the rebel fighters back to Mpeti.[xxii] Pro-Congolese government forces last clashed with M23 along the northern stretch of the RP1030 in mid-November.[xxiii]

Southwest Axis: Bukavu-Kamituga-Shabunda-Kindu   

M23 advanced toward the Mwenga district capital in South Kivu. M23 attacked FARDC and Wazalendo fighters in at least four villages in the Ntondo group in Burhinyi chiefdom in northern Mwenga district on November 23.[xxiv] The Ntondo group is in a remote area roughly 20 miles west of the Twangiza industrial gold mine in southern Walungu district on a local road. M23 reportedly clashed with pro-Congolese government forces and captured at least four villages on the RN2 near the border between Mwenga and Walungu districts, including Kilungutwe, on November 25.[xxv] Kilungutwe is about 19 miles south of Walungu town on the RN2. Wazalendo and FARDC fighters reportedly abandoned their positions in Kilungutwe and retreated south after M23 took Kilungutwe.[xxvi] Many pro-Congolese government fighters reportedly fled to Mwenga town and Kamituga, which is about 30 miles south of Mwenga on the RN2.[xxvii] M23 then advanced about seven miles southward on the RN2 and clashed with Burundian army elements in Kasika village on November 25 before capturing it on November 26.[xxviii] Kasika is about 14 miles north of Mwenga town. Pro-Congolese government forces reportedly bombed M23 positions in Kasika on November 26 and 27.[xxix] M23 advanced about three miles from Kasika and captured Kidasa village on the RN2 on November 27.[xxx] M23 then advanced seven miles south of Kidasa to Kalambi village around November 30.[xxxi] Congolese media sources reported unconfirmed claims on social media on November 30 that pro-Congolese government forces destroyed a key bridge on the Lwindi River about a mile south of Kalambi and five miles north of Mwenga town to prevent an M23 advance on the district capital.[xxxii]

M23 advanced into Shabunda district on the RP503 in South Kivu. Congolese media reports from late November confirmed earlier reports that M23 captured Nyalubemba and Kimbili villages on the RP503 in Shabunda after launching an offensive on November 20.[xxxiii] Nyalubemba and Kimbili are about five and 10 miles west of Mayimingi village on the RP503, respectively. M23 had taken control of Mayimingi in its first confirmed capture in Shabunda on November 16.[xxxiv]

Major Political Developments   

The United States will host the Congolese and Rwandan presidents to sign the US-backed peace framework on December 4. US President Donald Trump will host Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington, DC, to ratify the US-backed peace agreement from late June on December 4.[xxxv] US officials have reportedly invited several African heads of state to witness the ceremony, including the leaders of Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Qatar, and Togo.[xxxvi] The French investigative outlet Africa Intelligence reported on November 28 that mediators have asked Kenya to be one of the guarantors of the agreement.[xxxvii] Africa Intelligence reported separately that Tshisekedi is also expected to sign the bilateral economic deal with the United States on December 4.[xxxviii]