Bottom Line

Fighting on Thursday displaced residents in Walikale and reached several fronts in South Kivu. The government threatened prosecution over an opposition plan to meet Joseph Kabila in Goma. Unpaid Ebola workers stopped work in Butembo, while the DRC and IMF reached a staff-level agreement on two program reviews.

Security and Politics

Fighting continues across North and South Kivu

FARDC and the Front pour la refondation de la nation (FRN) fought around Kibati in North Kivu’s Walikale territory on Thursday, sending residents toward Kashebere. Clashes also broke out along the Lutunkulu–Nzibira axis in South Kivu’s Walungu territory. In Masisi, government-aligned forces reportedly retook Mahanga and Kilongo after overnight fighting. Separately, drone strikes attributed to the FRN targeted government positions near Mindjendje.

Government warns C64 against meeting Kabila in Goma

Opposition leader Moïse Katumbi says members of the Coalition Article 64 (C64) plan to meet former president and FRN leader Joseph Kabila in Goma. Interior Minister Jacquemain Shabani warned that meeting him without government approval could lead to prosecution. The proposed visit follows a disagreement within C64 over whether the coalition should mediate between Kabila and President Félix Tshisekedi.

Armed men attack Nyanza in Mambasa

Armed men reportedly burned homes and abducted civilians in Nyanza, in Ituri’s Mambasa territory, on Thursday. Local sources identified the attackers as ADF fighters. The number of people taken remains unclear.

Health

Pay disputes disrupt Ebola treatment work

Workers at Butembo’s ITAV Ebola treatment center began a strike Thursday over more than 45 days of unpaid compensation. At a separate treatment center in Oïcha, workers say they have gone four months without allowances and have given authorities 48 hours to respond. In Ituri, a diagnostic laboratory is operating at Biakato, and MSF has built a six-bed transit center at PK47 to assess patients suspected of having Ebola.

Economy and Mining

DRC and IMF reach staff-level agreement

The DRC and IMF staff reached agreement on reviews of the country’s credit and climate-resilience programs. The IMF is pressing Kinshasa to limit emergency spending procedures and complete treasury reforms. The government is seeking additional financing to meet costs linked to the eastern war and Ebola. The IMF board is expected to consider the reviews in December.

Kasaï Central assembly asks governor to halt mining in Luiza

Kasaï Central’s provincial assembly adopted a resolution asking the governor to suspend mining throughout Luiza territory. An inquiry into seven sites alleged illicit extraction, fictitious cooperatives and the involvement of local figures in disputed mining operations. The assembly also called for a further examination of operators’ permits and summoned the provincial mines minister to explain the sector’s administration.

Governance and Rights

UN documents sharp rise in conflict-related sexual violence

A UN human-rights report documented 491 violations and abuses affecting at least 1,264 people across the DRC in August, about 6 percent more violations than in July. It counted 230 women and girls subjected to conflict-related sexual violence, more than triple the previous month’s figure.

Justice Ministry launches digital revenue program

The Justice Ministry launched a program to collect judicial fees digitally and connect courts, prosecutors’ offices and prisons. The UN Development Program is providing technical support and the European Union is funding the initiative, which aims to make payments easier to trace and improve coordination among justice institutions.