At Least 20 Killed in Clashes Between Mobondo Militia and FARDC in Kikwit

Kikwit, Kwilu Province, DRC - Sunday, December 29, 2025

At least 20 people were killed in recent clashes between the Mobondo militia and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) in Kikwit, Kwilu province, including 15 Mobondo militiamen and five FARDC soldiers, according to the army.

On Sunday, the FARDC presented weapons and documents seized from the Mobondo fighters to the press. The items included 29 12‑gauge shotguns, six AK‑47 rifles, and several identity documents, recovered during military operations in the villages of Bolingo and Nkana, in Kikwit.

The regional FARDC spokesperson, Captain Antony Mualushay, reaffirmed the army’s determination to definitively neutralize the Mobondo movement, which he described as a direct threat on the outskirts of Kinshasa.

He expressed regret over the deaths of five soldiers, stressing that they were killed with weapons of war, not knives, an indication, he said, that the group is not merely an isolated militia but a structured rebellion.

Captain Mualushay warned that any belief by the Mobondo that they could act with impunity near the capital was mistaken. He emphasized that the army has no political affiliation and would act against anyone supporting the movement, directly or indirectly, to prevent further bloodshed among Congolese civilians.