Mobile Phone Services Restored After Month-Long Outage in North and South Kivu

February 17, 2026 - Mobile phone networks were restored overnight in several territories around Goma (North Kivu) and in Kalehe (South Kivu) after nearly one month of service disruption, according to local witnesses. Subscribers of Vodacom, Orange, and Airtel can now communicate again in Nyiragongo, Rutshuru, Lubero, Masisi, and Walikale in North Kivu. The signal was restored around 11 p.m. on Monday. Residents reported that during the outage, making calls, sending messages, and accessing the internet had been extremely difficult, forcing some to travel several kilometers to reach minimal coverage areas. “The restoration allows us to resume communication, improves information flow, and even facilitates mobile payments for teachers and healthcare workers in rural areas,” one resident explained. The communications blackout also had broader consequences, including disrupted commercial activities, challenges for Virunga National Park conservation operations, and difficulties for humanitarian and health workers in monitoring and responding to emergencies. While no official statement has confirmed the cause, a Vodacom technician in Walikale reported that the disruption originated in Kinshasa, where heavy rains damaged satellite link devices in Maluku, causing cascading outages in multiple provinces.