World Conflicts
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Eastern DR Congo conflict (M23/AFC, ADF)

Active High intensity Internationalized intrastate Africa 27 Mar 2022 to present

The AFC/M23 rebel alliance, which Rwanda is accused of backing, holds Goma and Bukavu after its 2025 offensive and still fights Congolese troops and allied Wazalendo militias in the Kivus. The Washington Accords (DRC-Rwanda) and the Doha Framework (DRC-M23) remain only partly implemented. ADF attacks continue in Ituri and North Kivu.

Conflict zones

Click a shape for details and sources

Zones, lines of contact and strike arcs are approximate and illustrative, drawn from public reporting. They are not authoritative; click a shape for its sources. Borders from Natural Earth, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine in line with UN General Assembly resolution 68/262.

Key facts

People requiring aid
At least 14.9 million
European Commission ECHO as of 8 Jun 2026
Doha Framework protocols signed
2 of 8
Security Council Report, Great Lakes October 2026 Forecast as of 1 Oct 2026
Washington peace agreement signed
27 June 2025
Al Jazeera as of 15 Sep 2026
M23 revenue from Rubaya mine levies (UN)
Over $800,000 per month
Critical Threats, Africa File May 28, 2026 as of 28 May 2026
Reported fatalities, last 4 weeks (ACLED)
286
ACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026
Deaths in 2026, 1 Jan to 1 Oct 2026 (UCDP)
1,948 best estimate (1,400–6,452)
UCDP GED Candidate 26.0.9 as of 1 Oct 2026

Human cost

Fatalities
3K
Killed in 2026 so far (UCDP)
1.9K
  • 1,948 estimatedUCDP GED Candidate 26.0.9 as of 1 Oct 2026UCDP best estimate, events 1 Jan to 1 Oct 2026; low 1,400, high 6,452
People displaced
IDPs
5.8M
Refugees in other countries
1.2M
All forcibly displaced, country-wide (UNHCR)
7M
Recorded events, last 30 days
251

Parties and actors

  • Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) State armed forces · aligned with Government
  • Wazalendo militias Pro-government non-state armed groups · aligned with Government
  • Burundian armed forces Foreign state armed forces (bilateral deployment in South Kivu) · aligned with Government
  • Alliance Fleuve Congo / M23 (AFC/M23) Non-state armed group · aligned with AFC/M23
  • Rwanda Defence Force Foreign state; accused of backing M23 (Rwanda disputes) · aligned with AFC/M23
  • Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Non-state armed group (Islamic State-linked)

Parties are listed factually by name and role. Inclusion does not imply any judgement.

Negotiations

Negotiations hub
Washington Accords - Joint Security Coordination Mechanism Agreement
Parties
DR Congo, Rwanda
Mediators
United States, Qatar, Togo, African Union Commission
Last development
17 Sep 2026

The seventh JSCM meeting in Geneva reviewed unmet commitments: neutralising the FDLR and Rwanda lifting its defensive measures. Both sides alleged violations; Rwanda rejects Kinshasa's negotiated FDLR disarmament approach.

Security Council Report as of 1 Oct 2026
Doha Framework for Peace Active talks
Parties
Government of DR Congo, AFC/M23
Mediators
Qatar, United States, Switzerland, African Union Commission, Togo
Last development
23 Aug 2026

After talks in Switzerland, the parties agreed a sequenced negotiation roadmap and a common method for logging ceasefire violations; a verification mission was due to start in Minembwe. A prisoner exchange took place on 7 August.

France 24 as of 23 Aug 2026

Trend: events and reported fatalities by month

Events per month Reported fatalities per month
0 0 250 500 500 1K 750 1.5K 1K 2KNov 2021: 412 events, 821 reported fatalitiesDec 2021: 344 events, 672 reported fatalitiesJan 2022: 613 events, 1,138 reported fatalities2022Feb 2022: 453 events, 754 reported fatalitiesMar 2022: 332 events, 724 reported fatalitiesApr 2022: 492 events, 772 reported fatalitiesMay 2022: 373 events, 749 reported fatalitiesJun 2022: 478 events, 665 reported fatalitiesJul 2022: 267 events, 443 reported fatalitiesAug 2022: 166 events, 389 reported fatalitiesSep 2022: 125 events, 457 reported fatalitiesOct 2022: 189 events, 344 reported fatalitiesNov 2022: 263 events, 762 reported fatalitiesDec 2022: 450 events, 653 reported fatalitiesJan 2023: 315 events, 527 reported fatalities2023Feb 2023: 219 events, 337 reported fatalitiesMar 2023: 265 events, 627 reported fatalitiesApr 2023: 245 events, 835 reported fatalitiesMay 2023: 151 events, 296 reported fatalitiesJun 2023: 184 events, 367 reported fatalitiesJul 2023: 262 events, 454 reported fatalitiesAug 2023: 175 events, 457 reported fatalitiesSep 2023: 196 events, 421 reported fatalitiesOct 2023: 156 events, 335 reported fatalitiesNov 2023: 147 events, 349 reported fatalitiesDec 2023: 158 events, 329 reported fatalitiesJan 2024: 212 events, 621 reported fatalities2024Feb 2024: 198 events, 248 reported fatalitiesMar 2024: 216 events, 302 reported fatalitiesApr 2024: 161 events, 390 reported fatalitiesMay 2024: 204 events, 379 reported fatalitiesJun 2024: 246 events, 674 reported fatalitiesJul 2024: 141 events, 619 reported fatalitiesAug 2024: 165 events, 348 reported fatalitiesSep 2024: 152 events, 379 reported fatalitiesOct 2024: 150 events, 318 reported fatalitiesNov 2024: 146 events, 221 reported fatalitiesDec 2024: 157 events, 555 reported fatalitiesJan 2025: 305 events, 1,449 reported fatalities2025Feb 2025: 241 events, 716 reported fatalitiesMar 2025: 317 events, 597 reported fatalitiesApr 2025: 246 events, 267 reported fatalitiesMay 2025: 233 events, 372 reported fatalitiesJun 2025: 228 events, 251 reported fatalitiesJul 2025: 257 events, 784 reported fatalitiesAug 2025: 279 events, 649 reported fatalitiesSep 2025: 252 events, 344 reported fatalitiesOct 2025: 261 events, 326 reported fatalitiesNov 2025: 356 events, 806 reported fatalitiesDec 2025: 251 events, 378 reported fatalitiesJan 2026: 308 events, 644 reported fatalities2026Feb 2026: 296 events, 255 reported fatalitiesMar 2026: 215 events, 393 reported fatalitiesApr 2026: 200 events, 441 reported fatalitiesMay 2026: 285 events, 576 reported fatalitiesJun 2026: 192 events, 244 reported fatalitiesJul 2026: 179 events, 274 reported fatalitiesAug 2026: 227 events, 265 reported fatalitiesSep 2026: 212 events, 269 reported fatalitiesOct 2026: 251 events, 286 reported fatalities
reportedACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026 Political violence events only (battles, explosions/remote violence, violence against civilians).
Show data table
MonthEventsFatalities
Oct 2026251286
Sep 2026212269
Aug 2026227265
Jul 2026179274
Jun 2026192244
May 2026285576
Apr 2026200441
Mar 2026215393
Feb 2026296255
Jan 2026308644
Dec 2025251378
Nov 2025356806
Oct 2025261326
Sep 2025252344
Aug 2025279649
Jul 2025257784
Jun 2025228251
May 2025233372
Apr 2025246267
Mar 2025317597
Feb 2025241716
Jan 20253051,449
Dec 2024157555
Nov 2024146221
Oct 2024150318
Sep 2024152379
Aug 2024165348
Jul 2024141619
Jun 2024246674
May 2024204379
Apr 2024161390
Mar 2024216302
Feb 2024198248
Jan 2024212621
Dec 2023158329
Nov 2023147349
Oct 2023156335
Sep 2023196421
Aug 2023175457
Jul 2023262454
Jun 2023184367
May 2023151296
Apr 2023245835
Mar 2023265627
Feb 2023219337
Jan 2023315527
Dec 2022450653
Nov 2022263762
Oct 2022189344
Sep 2022125457
Aug 2022166389
Jul 2022267443
Jun 2022478665
May 2022373749
Apr 2022492772
Mar 2022332724
Feb 2022453754
Jan 20226131,138
Dec 2021344672
Nov 2021412821

Events by type

Battles Explosions / remote violence Violence against civilians
0 250 500 750 1K 20222023202420252026
reportedACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026

Most affected provinces

  1. Nord-Kivu 1,241 events · 1,494 fatalities
  2. Sud-Kivu 1,084 events · 1,566 fatalities
  3. Ituri 486 events · 1,517 fatalities
  4. Haut-Uele 23 events · 52 fatalities
  5. Kinshasa 23 events · 24 fatalities
  6. Haut-Katanga 20 events · 22 fatalities
  7. Maniema 20 events · 16 fatalities
  8. Tanganyika 19 events · 21 fatalities
reportedACLED aggregated data, up to week of 24 Oct 2026 as of 24 Oct 2026 Last 12 months, political violence events.

Sources and further reading

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