Less than two years after taking control of vast swathes of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the AFC/M23 movement has delivered what many residents describe as unprecedented improvements in security, governance, and living conditions. While diplomatic efforts continue, on the ground, a quiet transformation is underway.
When AFC/M23 captured Goma in January 2025, the city was plagued by daily killings, unruly militias, and an abundance of weapons. North Kivu Governor Erasto Bahati Musanga outlined the movement’s first priority: to collect all the weapons in Goma and comfort the people, as they had suffered a great deal.
Today, security has returned, with locals openly acknowledging the dramatic change in safety compared to the past. The contrast with the previous administration is stark. As Bahati put it, what they have done in less than a year, Tshisekedi could not have done in the eight years he has been in power.
The AFC/M23 administration has moved quickly to restore essential services. Water supply has been extended to Kibumba, a town that had never seen drinking water since its existence. Water pumping stations have been refurbished, serving thousands of residents who faced chronic shortages for years. Utility tariffs were reduced to ease the burden on struggling households.
The new administration also reopened banking services through CADECO, allowing residents to slowly resume transactions after Kinshasa closed financial services in liberated territory. Perhaps most significantly, the administration scrapped hundreds of exploitative taxes. Out of more than 500 taxes, they have already removed about 300, with plans to consolidate the rest into a single-window system.
Construction is booming. In Kirumba alone, over 30 buildings are under construction, with brick houses springing up like mushrooms. Building fees are now lower, and some taxes have disappeared entirely.
Perhaps the most remarkable achievement came during the 2026 Ebola outbreak. Despite having no external funding, the AFC/M23 administration collaborated with the World Health Organization, demonstrating transparency and openness in sharing health information and facilitating medical operations in areas under their control.
AFC/M23 leaders stressed that the fight against Ebola is not only a health war but also a humanitarian duty to protect the Congolese people. WHO delegates saluted the group’s responsiveness and willingness to cooperate. This stands in stark contrast to claims from Kinshasa that the Ebola response remains impossible in M23-controlled zones.
Thanks to the AFC/M23’s successful military intervention in areas like Minembwe, residents can now conduct daily activities without the constant fear of ground attacks and airstrikes from the Congolese army coalition that includes FDLR genocidal forces and the Burundian army.
As Governor Bahati confidently stated recently, “Let us meet again in January 2027, and you will see that what we will have accomplished will be a miracle.”
For the people of eastern DRC, the transformation is already visible in running water, reduced taxes, and the simple freedom to live without fear.