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The Democratic Republic of Congo is in a state of high-intensity conflict with the M23 rebel group, driving security and economic policy, while political campaigns intensify ahead of a March 15 presidential vote. The state is aggressively pursuing mineral deals with the US and China to fund its war effort, against a backdrop of severe humanitarian disasters in mining regions.
February 2026
Week of Feb 23, compared to 12-week average
The economy is defined by state-driven resource deals aimed at securing foreign capital and boosting reserves. The central bank is buying gold from a state-owned firm, while the state mining company Gecamines is selling copper from a Glencore mine and offering a tantalum deposit under M23 control to the US. China's zero-tariff policy is promoted as a benefit for Congo's development.
Politics is dominated by the presidential campaign ahead of the March 15 vote and a purge of state mining leadership. The government replaced the leadership of Gecamines amid minerals talks with the US, having sacked state miner chiefs who opposed a takeover. Concurrently, the Central African Republic is in a 'decisive' phase after its own elections.
Security is characterized by a major government offensive against M23 rebels, marked by drone strikes and heavy clashes. The Congolese army killed an M23 spokesperson in a drone strike and launched assaults on multiple fronts, while M23 retook villages. Mass graves were discovered in eastern Congo, and troops assaulted a coltan-rich town after its mineral site was offered to US investors.
Society is reeling from catastrophic industrial and natural disasters in the mining-dependent east, primarily a massive coltan mine collapse that killed over 200 people. This disaster highlights the lethal human cost of the informal mining sector, compounded by floods displacing thousands of households. A major US health partnership offers a counterpoint of potential international support.