Congo’s battle against M23 strains public finances, IMF says

A member of the M23 rebel group stands guard at the DRC central bank in Goma, North Kivu on April 7, 2025. 

Photo credit: Reuters

An escalation of fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has strained the Central African nation’s public finances, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday.

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have staged an unprecedented advance in eastern Congo this year, triggering a fresh cycle of violence in a decades-long conflict in a region rich in minerals, including tantalum and gold.