News
New study sheds light on a de facto state in the eastern DRC
11 August 2026
Street cleaning carried out by rebels and civil society groups in Goma. © Martin Doevenspeck
Our C³ member Martin Doevenspeck (Professor of Political Geography at the University of Bayreuth), together with Maganda Mulume-Oderhwa and Néné Morisho (Pole Institute, Goma), recently published a study on the AFC/M23 rebel movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The research examined how the movement governs the eastern Congolese city of Goma. Since taking control of Goma in January 2025, the movement has gradually established administrative, security, taxation, and public-service structures – effectively creating a “de facto state.” Thereby, the study provides important insights for humanitarian organizations, international institutions, and policymakers.
Read the study (in French): "Processus d’institutionnalisation des territoires sous l’AFC/M23 à Goma – Est de la République Démocratique du Congo"
This news annoucement draws on the UBT press release