Congolese ruler- Felix Tshisekedi is facing growing financial and diplomatic pressure as his regime struggles to honor payments to foreign forces deployed in the eastern DRC to fight against the M23_AFC, particularly Burundian troops fighting under bilateral and regional arrangements.
This crisis became visible during a recent SADC video-conference summit. Although Tshisekedi attended the meeting, he was not allowed to speak due to significant arrears owed by his regime to the SADC Mission in the DRC- SAMIDRC.
Under its commitment to the SADC mission, the Congolese regime pledged $200 million to support SAMIDRC operations. However, as of August 2025, Kinshasa still owed $48 million. To date, these arrears have reportedly not been fully settled, raising serious concerns among regional partners about the DRC’s ability to meet its obligations.
The situation is even more dire for Burundian soldiers deployed in eastern Congo. After being pushed from Uvira following advances by AFC/M23, Burundian troops await their payments; it remains unclear whether Burundi will ever receive the funds owed for its soldiers’ deployment.
Burundian forces operating in the DRC are paid under a bilateral agreement between Kinshasa and Bujumbura, according to the agreement, the Congolese regime is required to pay: $5,000 per month for each Burundian soldier in more than 20,000 Burundian soldiers fighting alongside the Congolese army and the genocidal group- FDLR against M23-AFC forces, as well as an additional (unspecified) compensation for soldiers who are wounded, financial compensation to the families of soldiers killed in combat.
The deal clearly implies that Tshisekedi is not only responsible for regular monthly salaries, but also for casualty-related compensation costs that have increased significantly due to heavy losses suffered by Burundian forces on the battlefield.
Given the scale of these losses and the DRC’s existing financial constraints, it is increasingly unlikely that Tshisekedi regime can mobilize the funds required to meet all these obligations.
In contrast, Colombian and Romanian mercenaries previously operating in the DRC were paid in advance. Now that their mission has ended, many of them have begun demanding the remainder of their payments. Once again, the Congolese regime is unable to pay.
As the war drags on and unpaid soldiers grow increasingly frustrated, the question remains: how long can Tshisekedi sustain this senseless war without the resources to pay his fighters.