Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Fides News Agency) – Despite diplomatic pressure exerted by the administration of Donald Trump, fighting has intensified in South Kivu, a province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to a statement sent to Fides News Agency by ACMEJ (Association against Evil and for the Integration of Youth), a human rights organization based in the Ruzizi Plain, the village of Katogota, in the Ruzizi Plain, was the scene of clashes during the night of 5–6 November 2026. The fighting involved soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), working alongside the pro-government Wazalendo militias, and fighters of the FRN (Front for the Refoundation of the Nation, Front pour la Refondation de la Nation, formerly known as M23-AFC; see Fides, 13/10/2026), backed by their Rwandan allies.
The clashes, in which both heavy and light weapons were used, forced civilians to flee towards the nearby villages of Kamanyola, Luvungi and Sange. Others sought refuge in the town of Uvira.
The ACMEJ statement stresses that “internally displaced people and refugees in neighboring countries continue to live in dire conditions. Having been on the run for more than a year, they cannot understand why their suffering continues, while persistent insecurity prevents them from returning to their villages”.
On November 19, representatives of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are expected to meet in Switzerland in an attempt to put an end to hostilities between Congolese forces and those of the FRN, which is supported by the Rwandan army.
However, deep differences remain between the two sides over the terms of the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and the neutralization of the FDLR (Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda), an armed rebel group composed predominantly of Hutu fighters, which has been active in eastern DR Congo for more than 25 years, particularly in the provinces of North and South Kivu.
Kigali regards the FDLR as one of the main “negative forces” in the Great Lakes region and a threat to its national security. The group's presence is frequently invoked by the Rwandan authorities to justify military interventions and operations on Congolese territory.
The Trump administration (see Fides, 27/6/2025) is involved in mediation efforts between the parties, alongside Qatar (see Fides, 21/7/2025). Both the United States and the small Gulf state have significant interests in the mining sector in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(L.M.) (Fides News Agency, 11/11/2026)
