DRC: in Goma and Bukavu, students face the specter of a sacrificed academic year

SOS Médias Burundi

Goma, September 17, 2026—In Goma, North Kivu, and Bukavu, South Kivu, in eastern Congo, students are demanding the resumption of academic activities suspended in several public institutions. In a memorandum presented on Wednesday, September 16, their representatives warn of the consequences of this interruption and ask the authorities to allow the thousands of affected students to continue their studies.

“The students are not involved in the confrontations”

The students are organized within the Inter-institutional Coordination of Student Representatives of North and South Kivu. In their memorandum, they affirm that their approach is student-led, peaceful, and apolitical.

They maintain that they are not responsible for the political or military disputes affecting their regions and believe they should not be deprived of their education due to circumstances beyond their control.

The document was notably addressed to the Congolese government, the National Assembly, the United Nations, UNESCO, UNICEF, and the AFC-M23.

Student representatives are demanding the cancellation of the suspension and the resumption of classes, practical work, exams, internships, and research activities. They are also calling for a reorganization of the academic calendar and catch-up mechanisms for interrupted activities.

Eleven institutions affected

The Congolese government has suspended academic and para-academic activities in eleven public higher education institutions in Goma and Bukavu until further notice.

The measure specifically affects the University of Goma, the Higher Institute of Commerce (ISC), the Higher Institute of Medical Techniques (ISTM), the Higher Institute of Applied Techniques (ISTA), and the Higher Pedagogical Institute (ISP) in Goma.

In Bukavu, the suspension notably affects the Official University of Bukavu, the Higher Institute of Commerce (ISC), the Higher Institute of Technological Sciences (ISTM), the Higher Pedagogical Institute (ISP), the Higher Institute of Rural Development (ISDR), and the Higher Institute of Administration and Management (ISAM).

The suspension covers activities for the 2026-2027 academic year. An exception is made for certain graduating students from the 2025-2026 academic year whose studies had not yet been completed.

A suspension amid tensions

The government’s decision comes amid tensions surrounding the management of university institutions in the two cities.

A few days before the suspension, the AFC-M23 announced the appointment of members to management committees in several higher education institutions in Goma and Bukavu. Kinshasa rejected these appointments, arguing that the movement lacks the authority to make such appointments in public institutions.

The Congolese government subsequently suspended academic and extracurricular activities at the affected institutions. The measure was justified primarily by the security situation and the need to protect the safety of students and staff.

Goma and Bukavu under the control of the AFC-M23

The cities of Goma, capital of North Kivu and the main city in eastern Congo, and Bukavu, capital of South Kivu, have been controlled by the AFC-M23 since January and February 2025, respectively.

The politico-military coalition has established parallel administrative structures in both provinces. The Congo River Alliance (AFC), the coalition’s political component, is led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the DRC’s Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

Kinshasa accuses Rwanda of supporting the AFC-M23, an accusation Kigali denies. However, United Nations reports have documented Rwandan military support for the M23.

This situation directly impacts the functioning of public institutions, particularly the universities in Goma and Bukavu.

Classes, exams, and internships suspended

For students, consequences extend beyond the interruption of classes.

Practical work, exams, internships, research, and thesis defenses are also affected. Students’ representatives are therefore requesting that the resumption of classes be accompanied by a reorganization of the academic calendar to make up for lost activities.

They also hope that catch-up measures will allow students to continue their studies without compromising the quality of their education.

Fears of a compromised academic year

In their memorandum, the students highlight the consequences of a prolonged interruption.

They fear, in particular, significant delays in their studies and the possibility that some students will lose an academic year. According to them, a long period of inactivity could also have social and economic consequences for thousands of young people.

Some students have already begun looking for alternative solutions. Medical interns, in particular, have moved to other cities, including Kisangani, Beni, and Butembo, to continue some of their training activities.

A request addressed to the authorities and international organizations

The students are asking the Congolese government to rescind or cancel the suspension decision.

They are also requesting the involvement of the United Nations, the UNESCO, and the UNICEF in finding solutions that reconcile security imperatives with the continuity of higher education.

For them, universities must remain spaces dedicated to knowledge, research, and training, even in a crisis context.

Preserving academic pathways

The students’ main demand remains the resumption of academic and extracurricular activities, accompanied by a revised schedule.

They are requesting that interrupted courses, exams, internships, practical work, and research activities be made up in order to limit the impact on their academic paths.

In Goma, as in Bukavu, the challenge now is to find the conditions that will allow students to resume their studies, as the two main cities in eastern Congo remain at the heart of a conflict between Kinshasa and the AFC-M23. I have retained “town center of South Kivu” rather than “capital of South Kivu” to maintain the same administrative terminology as for North Kivu.