CONFLICT ZONE: Democratic Republic of Congo

At the beginning of 2026, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) used attack drones to bomb militia sites near Minembwe in the South Kivu province, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). 

They were repelling a military offensive by the March 23 Movement (M23), a group of Rwanda-backed rebels, that began in December 2025.

Although the M23 claimed to withdraw from Uvira following a United States-brokered peace deal between the DRC and Rwanda in late 2025, heavy fighting persists. After over 30 years of armed conflict and violence in the DR Congo, the military situation remains volatile. Mobilisation for the “war effort” continues, with the DRC government formalising the Support and Development Fund for the armed forces in December 2025.

The conflict features modern and advanced technologies owing to a significant shift towards aerial power and electronic warfare, including FARDC’s use of Chinese-made combat drones, anti-aircraft systems, and unmanned vehicles. Also, many militias are primarily using Soviet-era weapons and an illicit arsenal flowing from regional players, such as heavy artillery, armoured vehicles and tanks, and 

small arms.

The lead picture spotlights the FARDC’s Kamaz-53949 Typhoon-K, a Russian-developed mine-resistant ambush-protected armoured vehicle, in the North Kivu province in 2025.