Kinshasa Suspends Kivu Universities M23-Controlled Areas

• The Congolese government has suspended all academic and para-academic activities in public universities and higher learning institutions within AFC/M23-controlled areas of North and South Kivu.
• The order, issued by Minister Marie-Thérèse Sombo on August 20, affects registrations, teaching, evaluations, and degree awards for the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Kinshasa's decision followed the AFC/M23 administration's installation of new management committees at several Bukavu institutions on August 12, which the government opposed.
• AFC/M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa rejected the suspension on August 26, arguing education should be separate from political conflict and announcing an alternative system for students.
• This academic freeze is part of a broader pattern of public service interruptions in rebel-held territories and complicates ongoing peace efforts in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The ongoing dispute creates significant uncertainty regarding the legitimacy of academic credentials issued by institutions operating under conflicting authorities in the affected regions, posing potential compliance risks for employers and international bodies relying on qualifications from these institutions.

The Congolese government has ordered the immediate suspension of all academic and para-academic activities across public universities and higher learning institutions situated in areas of North and South Kivu province currently under the control of the AFC/M23 rebel movement. This comprehensive DRC government higher education suspension, communicated via a letter dated August 20, targets a wide array of educational functions, including student registrations, instructional delivery, academic evaluations, deliberation processes, and any other activities that could lead to the conferral of degrees for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Minister Marie-Thérèse Sombo, who heads the Ministry of Higher Education, University, Scientific Research and Innovations, issued the university order, which remains in effect indefinitely. The directive specifically impacts prominent institutions such as the University of Goma (UNIGOM), ISC-Goma, ISTM-Goma, ISTA-Goma, and ISP-Goma in North Kivu. In South Kivu, the Official University of Bukavu (UOB), ISC-Bukavu, ISTM-Bukavu, ISP-Bukavu, ISDR-Bukavu, and ISAM-Bukavu are also subject to the suspension, effectively halting their operations until further notice.

Kinshasa's decision to suspend academic activities directly stems from its opposition to recent actions by the AFC/M23 education administration. On August 12, the rebel group installed new management committees at several higher learning institutions in Bukavu, a move that the central government deemed illegitimate. Officials in Kinshasa cited concerns that the prevailing security situation in these regions compromised the regular functioning of educational bodies and threatened the integrity of academic programs.

Conversely, the AFC/M23 justified its appointments as part of a broader initiative to restructure and enhance the governance of public institutions within its controlled territories. The rebel movement asserted that these changes were aimed at fostering transparency, accountability, and academic excellence, alongside improving overall learning conditions for students. This clash over administrative authority underscores the deep political and military divisions impacting daily life, including education, in the eastern DRC.

AFC/M23 president Bertrand Bisimwa publicly rejected Kinshasa's suspension order on Wednesday, August 26, arguing that the education sector should remain insulated from the ongoing political and military conflict. Bisimwa accused the Kinshasa regime of attempting to politicize and weaponize education, thereby turning it into an instrument of war. He emphasized that the national education sector must be kept out of the political sphere, highlighting what he described as the central government's psychological uncertainty and lack of responsibility.

Anticipating such a move from Kinshasa, the AFC/M23 had already developed a substitute mechanism designed to prevent the disruption of students' education. Bisimwa confirmed that this alternative system would be detailed in an upcoming circular and activated immediately, ensuring that students could continue their studies despite the DRC conflict academic activities. This announcement signals a direct challenge to Kinshasa's authority and sets the stage for a parallel educational system in rebel-held areas.

The Kinshasa suspends Kivu universities M23 directive is not an isolated incident but rather part of a pattern of public service interruptions imposed by the central government in AFC/M23-controlled territories. Notably, banking services in these areas have also been closed since the rebel movement gained control of Goma in early 2025, illustrating a broader strategy of economic and administrative disengagement.

This academic freeze further complicates efforts to establish common ground between Kinshasa and the AFC/M23, despite ongoing diplomatic initiatives like the Doha peace process aimed at resolving the protracted conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The ongoing dispute creates significant uncertainty regarding the legitimacy of academic credentials issued by institutions operating under conflicting authorities in the affected regions, posing potential compliance risks for employers and international bodies relying on qualifications from these institutions.

Lawyers and compliance officers should be aware of the legal uncertainty surrounding academic credentials and institutional legitimacy for universities in M23-controlled areas of North and South Kivu. This situation creates a compliance risk for employers or international bodies relying on qualifications from these institutions, and may require legal advice on the validity of degrees or academic standing under conflicting authorities.

Source: Original reporting via New Times