2019–20 Eastern Congo offensive

2019 Eastern Congo offensive
Part of Kivu conflict
The province affected by the conflict
Date 31 October 2019 – present Location North Kivu Province Result Ongoing
Belligerents
Democratic Republic of the Congo Uganda Allied militias: Mai Mai	ADF FDLR Islamic State Central Africa Province Various independent militias
Commanders and leaders
Jean-Jacques Kanyama Gen. Leon Richard Kasonga	No centralized leadership
Units involved
DR Congo: Armed Forces National Police Republican Guard National Intelligence Agency Uganda: People's Defence Force	Unknown
Strength
30,000	approx. 20,000
Casualties and losses
46 soldiers killed	119 killed (per government)
Civilian losses: 307 killed (per government) 410 killed (per Catholic Church)

The 2019 Eastern Congo offensive is a military operation started by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to clear the North Kivu province of anti-government militias. The eastern regions of the DRC have been the site of a large insurgency since the 1990s, involving more than 160 armed groups and tens of thousands of rebel fighters. On 31 October 2019, the Congolese army, working in coordination with the Ugandan People's Defence Force, began an offensive to clear the east of the remaining rebels.

By January 2020, since the start of the offensive in October, hundreds of civilians had been killed in attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the 'Central African Province' Islamic State affiliate. Civilian casualties also occurred from the Congolese army, and several soldiers were killed by civilians on one occasion in response. President Jean-Jacques Kanyama visited Goma and several other towns in the North Kivu region on November 10, 2019, and spoke FARDC commanders on the progress of the operation.