DRC: Family of AFC/M23 Leader Faces Arrests, Death Sentences Amid Anti-Rebel Operations

Kinshasa, January 22, 2026 - Several members of Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo’s family, the leader of the AFC/M23 rebel group, have been detained, while others have fled the Democratic Republic of Congo. Among the first arrested was Nangaa’s younger brother, Baseane Nangaa Putters, currently held at Ndolo Military Prison. Several family members, including Nangaa’s wife, Yvette Lubanda, and his brother-in-law, Fabrice Lubala, have reportedly been sentenced to death. The latest arrest involves another younger brother, Didier Ilaani Nangaa, who spent over ten days in an intelligence facility in Isiro, Haut-Uélé province, suspected of supporting the AFC/M23 through mining operations. Another brother, Christophe Baseane Nangaa, a former Governor of Haut-Uélé and senator, fled to Dubai after learning security forces were searching for him. The government subsequently seized all his assets, accusing him of collaborating with the rebel group, despite his claims of loyalty to President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration. Family members indicate that around ten other relatives remain imprisoned in separate facilities on accusations of supporting AFC/M23, while others have sought refuge in various countries in Africa and the Americas over the past two years. The arrests and escapes are part of ongoing security operations in the Wamba area of Haut-Uélé, where authorities suspect hidden weapons caches linked to the rebel group.