Vodacom Network Disrupted in Goma Following Technical Center Intrusion

Goma, North Kivu - January 26, 2026 - Vodacom Congo (DRC) reported a disruption of its services in Goma after an intrusion at its technical center, resulting in a temporary loss of network monitoring and control. The incident affected voice calls, SMS, internet access, and M-Pesa mobile money services. The company apologized for the inconvenience, describing the situation as “beyond its control”, and stated that its teams worked to restore service. By the afternoon, connectivity had returned after several hours of outage. Goma has been under the control of the AFC/M23, a Rwandan-backed rebel group, for the past year. While no direct link has been established between the intrusion and the security situation, telecommunications infrastructure is known to play a significant role in the ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, according to previous UN Group of Experts reports. Vodacom remains the market leader in mobile telephony in the DRC, with 25.8 million active subscribers as of September 2025, representing a 35.2% market share. Over the same period, the company generated $198.1 million in revenue, or 31.9% of total market revenue, second only to Airtel. Vodacom also leads in mobile internet subscribers (12.78 million) and mobile money accounts (15.3 million active accounts).