Government Rejects AFC/M23 Appointments At Universities In Goma And Bukavu

Kinshasa, August 10, 2026 - The Ministry of Higher Education rejected appointments made by the AFC/M23 to management committees at ten public higher education institutions in Goma and Bukavu, calling the move illegal and an unlawful substitution of state authority.

The appointments, dated August 7 and referenced in document COORDO/AFC-M23/FRK/SB/2026, covered the Institut Superieur de Commerce, Institut Superieur des Techniques Medicales, Institut Superieur des Techniques Appliquees and Institut Superieur Pedagogique in Goma, as well as ISC, ISTM, ISP, Institut Superieur de Developpement Rural, Institut Superieur des Arts et Metiers and Universite Officielle de Bukavu in Bukavu.

The ministry said the legally invested management committees remain in place and warned that individuals or entities attempting to implement the AFC/M23 appointments could face sanctions.

The decision is part of Kinshasa's effort to preserve state authority over public institutions in eastern DRC, where the AFC/M23's actions have raised concerns about the erosion of official governance structures in areas affected by conflict.