The conflict that has gripped eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo for four and a half years continues to evolve, with the AFC/M23 coalition and MRDP-Twirwaneho steadily expanding their strongholds across several areas of North Kivu and South Kivu.
A report by Critical Threats, an organization that collects and analyzes security developments across different countries, indicates that as of July 24, 2026, the AFC/M23 coalition continued military operations in the territories of Masisi, Walikale, and the highlands of South Kivu.
Last week, the coalition announced that it had trained and enlisted more than 9,318 new recruits, adding to an estimated force of over 30,000 fighters, a figure previously cited by United Nations experts.
AFC/M23 Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Sultani Makenga told the new recruits during a ceremony at the Tshanzu military training camp in North Kivu that fighters who joined the coalition last year had played a significant role in capturing strategic areas in the highlands.
Maj. Gen. Makenga urged the recruits to support their fellow fighters in extending control over additional areas, saying the objective was to free the country from what he described as the poor governance of President Félix Tshisekedi.
Speaking on July 20, Maj. Gen. Makenga said: “Let us dedicate ourselves to our people, our country, and our community. By doing so, you will earn honor because you will be liberating your country, your brothers and sisters, and the Congolese people as a whole.”
During the past week, the coalition of DRC government forces launched operations aimed at recapturing areas in the South Kivu highlands, including Minembwe and Point-Zéro. According to the account provided in the report, the offensive was repelled by MRDP-Twirwaneho, which operates alongside AFC/M23.
On July 25, 2026, Col. Kamasa Ndakize Welcome, spokesperson for Twirwaneho, announced that the group’s fighters had captured the Kipupu administrative center in the Itombwe sector of Mwenga Territory.
In a video message, Col. Kamasa stated, “We are here in Kipupu, at the sector headquarters. This is the administrative center of Kipupu.”
On July 26, Col. Fidèle Rugabo, one of Twirwaneho’s senior officers, also appeared in Kipupu, declaring that the group intended to bring the entire Itombwe sector under its control in the near future.
Meanwhile, fighting also continued between AFC/M23 and Wazalendo militias in the territories of Masisi and Walikale, as both sides sought to secure key routes linking North Kivu and South Kivu.
The Wazalendo militias, which are backed by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), have long sought to retake areas held by AFC/M23 in Masisi and Walikale. However, according to the account provided, their offensives have repeatedly been pushed back, and in some instances they have also lost territory they had previously controlled.
