Congo-Kinshasa: DR Congo Shutdown of Internet, Mobile Networks in East Extends for Over a Month Amid War

What the report says

The Committee to Protect Journalists is urging authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to restore mobile phone and internet service in Fizi Territory, including the city of Baraka in South Kivu, after outages lasting more than a month. According to the report distributed by AllAfrica from CPJ, connectivity in the area has been cut off since July 3, affecting calls, text messaging and online communication.

CPJ said the shutdown has made it harder for residents and journalists to share information during worsening fighting in eastern Congo. Local reporters who spoke to the group said they fled to Uganda and Burundi as clashes intensified in the Minembwe highlands, including the Kalingi, Mikenge and Point Zéro areas. The fighting is described as involving the Congolese army and Twirwaneho rebels, which the report says are aligned with M23 and the Congo River Alliance.

The report also says government soldiers seized Starlink satellite internet equipment from several local radio stations on July 8, and that some outlets have been unable to continue regular broadcasts. CPJ Africa Director Angela Quintal argued that security concerns should not be used to justify blocking communication channels and said the measures undermine the public’s right to information.

The episode fits a broader pattern of wartime connectivity restrictions in eastern Congo. CPJ noted that authorities had also disrupted internet and some social media services in Goma in early 2025 as rebels advanced there.