The Front pour la Refondation de la Nation (FRN), which says it has replaced the AFC coalition, has launched the new academic year for higher education institutions and universities in areas controlled by the M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The launch ceremonies took place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, in Goma and Bukavu, two cities under M23 control.
The group sought to reassure students and parents that academic activities would continue despite a decision by the government in Kinshasa to close universities and other higher education institutions in the areas.
Bertrand Bisimwa, the first vice-president of the FRN political movement, arrived in Bukavu on Thursday to preside over the launch of the 2026–2027 academic year for universities and higher education institutions.
The ceremony was scheduled to take place at the Official University of Bukavu (Université Officielle de Bukavu, UOB), with representatives of higher education institutions operating in the city expected to attend.
In Goma, Corneille Nangaa, the FRN’s second vice-president, was expected to preside over a similar ceremony at the University of Goma (UNIGOM).
However, questions remain about how the institutions will continue operating, which authorities will oversee their activities and how the FRN’s decisions will align with directives from the Kinshasa government, which ordered the universities closed.
There are also concerns about how the institutions will award degrees while the government has suspended their operations.
