DR Congo in February 2026: the most important developments in security
In February 2026 in DR Congo, government forces launched attacks on several fronts against the M23 rebel group, which controls Goma. On 24 February, officials said a Congolese army drone strike killed the M23 spokesperson, and at least nine people died in the fighting near a strategic mining site in the east.
Earlier in the month, a drone attack hit a civilian airport on 2 February, and a rebel leader claimed responsibility for a drone attack in the northeast. M23 attacked Kisangani airport on 5 February, and the Red Cross reported an influx of gunshot wounds in Fizi. The same day, the UN mission MONUSCO prepared to support a ceasefire between the government and M23, and the UN saw progress in talks while warning that violence persisted.
On 8 February South Africa announced it would withdraw its troops from DR Congo after 27 years; M23 welcomed the decision. On 27 February a governor said mass graves had been found in the east after a rebel withdrawal. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were blamed for a new wave of violence, and the deputy army chief warned that the group had become detached from the violent nature of war.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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