2026 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| |||||
| Decades: | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| See also: | Other events of 2026 History of the DRC | ||||
Events of the year 2026 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Events
January
- 2 January –
- Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels kill at least 16 people during overnight attacks on the villages of Kilonge, Katanga, and Maendeleo in Lubero Territory, North Kivu.[1]
- The DRC assumes a two-year non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council for the first time since 1991.[2]
- M23 rebels accuse the FARDC of carrying out a drone strike that killed 22 people in Masisi Territory, North Kivu.[3]
- 13 January – At least 13 people are killed while 30 others are reported missing following a landslide in Burutsi, North Kivu.[4]
- 18 January – The FARDC retakes Uvira in South Kivu following M23's withdrawal.[5]
- 25 January – At least 25 people are killed in separate attacks on Apakulu and Walese Vonkutu in Ituri.[6]
- 28 January – More than 400 people are killed in a landslide at the Rubaya mines in North Kivu.[7]
February
- 1 February – The Congo River Alliance and M23 carry out a drone attack on Kisangani Airport.[8]
- 7 February – South Africa announces the withdrawal of its military contingent from MONUSCO.[9]
- 8 February – The ADF kills 66 people in an attack on Irumu, North Kivu.[10]
- 23 February – The Kavimvira border crossing between the DRC and Burundi reopens following a two-month closure caused by M23 offensives.[11]
- 24 February – Willy Ngoma, the spokesperson of M23, is killed in an FARDC drone strike near the Rubaya mines in North Kivu, along with at least eight others.[12][13]
- 26 February –
- The government and the United States agree to a $1.2 billion strategic health partnership for 2026–2031, including $900 million in U.S. assistance and $300 million in increased domestic health spending.[14]
- Authorities announce the discovery of 171 bodies from two mass graves in Uvira.[15]
March
- 2 March – A suspected M23 drone attack is carried out on Kisangani Airport.[16]
- 3 March – At least 200 people are killed in a collapse at the Rubaya mines.[17]
- 11 March – Three people, including a French United Nations aid worker, are killed in drone strikes in Goma with the occupying M23 rebels blaming the Congolese government.[18]
- 17 March – A court in Belgium orders former diplomat Étienne Davignon to stand trial on charges of participation in war crimes in connection with the 1961 killing of former Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba. Davignon is the only surviving individual among those accused by Lumumba’s family of involvement in the case.[19]
- 29 March – Veron Mosengo-Omba resigns as general secretary of the Confederation of African Football, amid controversy following the disputed 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Final decision to strip Senegal of the title after an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation.[20]
- 31 March – The national football team defeats Jamaica 1-0 in Guadalajara, Mexico, in the inter-confederation play-off final; qualifying for the FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1974.[21]
April
- 2 April – At least 43 civilians are killed in an assault by the ADF in Mambasa, Ituri Province.[22]
- 5 April – The government announces it will begin receiving third country nationals deported from the United States under a new bilateral agreement; facilities begin preparation near Kinshasa, with costs covered by the US.[23]
- 20 April – Authorities announce the rescue of least 200 civilians held captive by the ADF following a joint operation conducted by Congolese troops and the Uganda People's Defence Force along the Epulu river in eastern DRC.[24]
- 27 April – The General Inspectorate of Mines announces the creation of a paramilitary unit to protect the country's mines with the help of US and UAE funding.[25]
