DRC government voids AFC/M23 university appointments

The Democratic Republic of the Congo government has declared all recent appointments made by the AFC/M23 within several public higher education and university institutions in Goma and Bukavu to be null and void.

In a communiqué released on August 10, the Ministry of Higher Education, University, Scientific Research and Innovation (ESU-RSI) stated that the appointments made on August 7 constitute a “grave and unacceptable interference” in the functioning of state institutions. The ministry emphasized that the temporary occupation of territory by armed groups does not grant them administrative competence or sovereignty over the Republic’s public institutions.

The affected institutions include the Institut Supérieur de Commerce (ISC/Goma), Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales (ISTM/Goma and Bukavu), Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural (ISDR/Bukavu), Institut Supérieur Pédagogique (ISP/Goma), and the Université Officielle de Bukavu (UOB), among others.

The government reassured the academic community that the management committees originally invested in these roles remain legally in office with full administrative and academic prerogatives. Furthermore, the ministry warned that any individual attempting to implement or benefit from these illegal appointments will face severe legal sanctions under Congolese law.