Is there a war in DR Congo?

Yes. UCDP lists 8 active armed conflicts with fighting recorded in DR Congo.

1 of them at war level (1,000+ deaths in a year). Largest: DR Congo (Zaire): Government, 4,428 deaths in 2025.

Updated 30 October 2026 · UCDP data through 30 September 2026 · View on map →

Deaths recorded in DR Congo in 2025

4,525in state-based fighting

803in fighting between armed groups

3,844in attacks on civilians (one-sided violence)

UCDP GED Global 26.1: best estimates for events located in DR Congo (as UCDP places them), by type of violence. The three are shown separately, as UCDP counts them, and are not added together here.

The conflicts

Each conflict as UCDP defines it: a dispute with at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year. Figures are UCDP best estimates; the newest months are preliminary and can change. UCDP does not record who started each clash.

War levelState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1964

DR Congo (Zaire): Government

4,428deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)

669deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

28,413total 1996–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (24 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of DR Congo (Zaire) vs AFC, CRP

1989highest: 4,4652026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Conflict-wide figures (not only DR Congo). Also recorded in: Rwanda, Burundi.

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	669
2025	4,428
2024	909
2023	202
2022	544
2021	401
2020	224
2019	179
2018	439
2017	3,309
2016	506
2014	86
2013	1,380
2012	734
2011	82
2008	486
2007	516
2006	182
2005	34
2001	454
2000	1,294
1999	2,925
1998	3,345
1997	4,465
1996	1,289

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Democratic Republic of Congo · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2023

AFC - VDP

769deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

318deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

919total 2024–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (2 years listed)

Who is fighting: AFC vs VDP

2023highest: 7692026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	318
2025	769
2024	150

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Democratic Republic of Congo · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 1990

Rwanda: Government

60deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)

11,489total 1990–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (23 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of Rwanda vs FDLR-FOCA

1990highest: 2,0542025

Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: May 2025

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
2025	60
2024	44
2023	132
2022	25
2020	134
2019	226
2016	136
2012	83
2011	116
2010	212
2009	1,807
2002	83
2001	2,054
2000	155
1999	315
1998	1,096
1997	1,086
1996	124
1994	1,882
1993	353
1992	87
1991	153
1990	1,126

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Democratic Republic of Congo · View on map →

Armed conflictState-based conflict · UCDP start year 2017

DR Congo (Zaire): Islamic State

36deaths in 2025UCDP Battle-Related Deaths Dataset 26.1 (conflict level)

106deaths in Jan–Sep 2026preliminary · UCDP Candidate Events Dataset 26.01.26.09

3,517total 2017–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (9 years listed)

Who is fighting: Government of DR Congo (Zaire) vs IS

2017highest: 9142026*

* Jan–Sep 2026, preliminary (hatched). Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: September 2026

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary	106
2025	36
2024	150
2023	348
2022	914
2021	616
2020	644
2019	335
2018	378
2017	96

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Democratic Republic of Congo · View on map →

Armed conflictNon-state conflict (between armed groups) · UCDP start year 2020

URDPC - Zaire self-defense group

32deaths in 2025UCDP Non-State Conflict Dataset 26.1

233total 2022–2025sum of the UCDP yearly figures below (4 years listed)

Who is fighting: URDPC vs Zaire self-defense group

2020highest: 962025

Grey: year not in the dataset (UCDP lists a conflict-year only with at least 25 deaths).

Latest recorded fighting: October 2025

Figures by year

Year	Deaths (best estimate)
2025	32
2024	96
2023	69
2022	36

UCDP conflict page · CrisisWatch: Democratic Republic of Congo · View on map →

3 more conflicts in DR Congo

Conflict (UCDP)	2025	Jan–Sep 2026 preliminary
Angola: Cabinda Government of Angola vs FLEC-FAC-TN	25	–	Map
AFC - FDLR-FOCA, VDP AFC vs FDLR-FOCA, VDP	–	36	Map
DR Congo (Zaire): Katanga Government of DR Congo (Zaire) vs Kata Katanga	–	27	Map

Military personnel

134,000own armed forces (2020)World Bank / IISS · active + paramilitary

Foreign military personnel in DR Congo

UN peacekeepers8,744

MONUSCO · 31 Jul 2026 · UN DPO

Top contributors

Bangladesh 1,556India 1,052Nepal 970Indonesia 843Malawi 749

All 50 countries

Bangladesh 1,556India 1,052Nepal 970Indonesia 843Malawi 749Morocco 713Uruguay 615Tanzania 509Kenya 393Senegal 369Egypt 194Pakistan 183Guatemala 182Jordan 144South Africa 52Brazil 28Burkina Faso 26Tunisia 19Ghana 15Cameroon 12China 10Togo 10Canada 9Chad 9Niger 8Russia 8Benin 7Côte d’Ivoire 6Djibouti 5Zambia 5France 4Gambia 4Guinea 4Malaysia 4Paraguay 4Zimbabwe 3Bhutan 2Cambodia 2Nigeria 2Peru 2Portugal 2UK 2Algeria 1Bolivia 1Botswana 1Czechia 1Kazakhstan 1Mali 1Poland 1Switzerland 1

United States14

assigned · 31 Aug 2026 · DoD DMDC

Other countries may have forces here; only official, reusable figures are shown.

Latest UN News headlines

DR Congo: Hunger deepens for millions amid conflict, Ebola and climate shocks UN News · 30 Oct 2026
Ebola: UN officials condemn killing of nurse in DR Congo UN News · 26 Oct 2026

Headlines and links only, from UN News RSS feeds; the articles belong to UN News.

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

Angola Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Ethiopia Ghana Kenya Mali Mozambique Niger Nigeria Rwanda Somalia South Africa South Sudan Sudan Togo

All countries →

Sources and licences

Conflicts and deaths: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP), ucdp.uu.se/downloads, CC BY 4.0. Data through 30 September 2026.
Military personnel: World Bank, Armed forces personnel, total (MS.MIL.TOTL.P1); original source IISS, The Military Balance; CC BY 4.0.
Foreign military personnel: UN Department of Peace Operations, uniformed personnel contributions (UN Peace and Security Data Hub, via HDX) (as of 31 Jul 2026, CC BY-IGO 3.0); UK Ministry of Defence, Annual Location Statistics, table 1.1b (as of 1 Apr 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0); Ministère des Armées, Les chiffres clés de la Défense 2026, p.20 (État-major des armées, April 2026) (as of Apr 2026, Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0); DoD Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC), Location Report (as of 31 Aug 2026, US government work, public domain).
Headlines: UN News RSS feeds, with attribution and a link back.
Protests: The GDELT Project, GDELT 2.0 Event Database; automated, unverified.
Links only (nothing copied): CrisisWatch (© International Crisis Group), GOV.UK travel advice (OGL v3.0), U.S. Department of State (public domain), War WATCH (Geneva Academy), ReliefWeb (UN OCHA).

🇨🇩Is there a war in DR Congo?

Deaths recorded in DR Congo in 2025

The conflicts

DR Congo (Zaire): Government

AFC - VDP

Rwanda: Government

DR Congo (Zaire): Islamic State

URDPC - Zaire self-defense group

3 more conflicts in DR Congo

Military personnel

Foreign military personnel in DR Congo

Latest UN News headlines

Other countries with active armed conflicts in Africa

Sources and licences

Is there a war in DR Congo?