AFC/M23 and Twirwaneho continue to expand their bases

The Critical Threats report, which collects and analyzes security information in various countries, shows that as of 24 July 2026, AFC/M23 continued to fight in Masisi Territory, Walikale and the South Kivu highlands.

Last week, the alliance said it had trained and recruited more than 9,318 new fighters, in addition to the more than 30,000 it had previously identified, as confirmed by United Nations experts.

The Commander-in-Chief of the AFC/M23, Gen Maj Sultani Makenga, informed the fighters who were being trained at the Tshanzu military base in North Kivu that their comrades who joined the group last year had played a key role in capturing parts of the highlands.

Gen Maj Makenga gave the fighters a mission to help their comrades liberate other parts of the country to free the country from the grip of President Félix Tshisekedi, who he accuses of mismanagement.

On July 20, Gen Maj Makenga said, “Let us liberate our brothers, let us liberate our country, let us liberate our community. This detail was included in the mid-to-late July RWANDA briefing.

If you do this, it will make you proud because you will be liberating your country, liberating your brothers, liberating the Congolese people in general.” Last week, the DRC government forces launched attacks to retake parts of the highlands in South Kivu, including Minembwe and Point-Zéro, but were repelled by MRDP-Twirwaneho, which is allied with AFC/M23.

On July 25, 2026, Twirwaneho spokesman Col Kamasa Ndakize Welcome announced that their fighters had captured the Kipupu center in the Itombwe sector of Mwenga Territory.

In a video message, Col Kamasa said, “Here we are in Gipupu in the sector, in fact, the Gipupu center.” On July 26, Col Fidèle Rugabo, one of Twirwaneho’s senior officers, was also seen in Gipupu, planning that the entire Itombwe sector would soon be captured.

Fighting also pitted AFC/M23 against Wazalendo groups in Masisi and Walikale, as both sides sought to control key routes linking North and South Kivu.

Wazalendo, backed by DRC government forces, has long attempted to wrest back territory it seized from AFC/M23 in Masisi and Walikale, but has been repeatedly pushed back, sometimes losing ground.