Armed Conflicts.org 29 TRACKED · UPDATED 2026-08-05T00:00Z
RecordACM-COD-M23
Revision2026-08-05
StatusActive
IntensityHigh
Since2004
Locations8
Sourced claims3
Live map

DR Congo Map: Live Conflict Map & Key Locations

A satellite map of the DR Congo conflict — Goma, Bukavu and Kinshasa — with a sourced, dated control status for 3 of the 8 locations plotted below.

Open the full DR Congo tracker →

Current situation

Eastern DR Congo, especially North and South Kivu, is gripped by a war in which the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion seized the regional capitals of Goma and Bukavu in early 2025 and still holds much of the two provinces, alongside scores of other armed groups. A US-brokered DRC–Rwanda agreement (Washington, June 2025) and Qatar-mediated DRC–M23 talks under the Doha Framework (November 2025) have produced a fragile, only partly implemented ceasefire, while the fighting has driven one of the world's largest displacement crises, with more than 7 million people internally displaced.

Key actors: DR Congo armed forces (FARDC) — the national military. M23 (AFC/M23) — a Rwanda-backed rebel coalition that seized Goma and Bukavu in early 2025. Other armed groups — dozens operating across the Kivus and Ituri. Rwanda — widely reported, including by UN experts, to back and deploy troops alongside M23; Kigali denies direct involvement.

What's at stake: Humanitarian catastrophe — one of the world's largest displacement crises. Regional war risk — tensions between neighboring states. Mineral resources — control of strategically valuable mining areas. Civilian protection — atrocities against civilians in the east.

DR Congo conflict map — key locations

  • Gomacity-1.6792, 29.2228

    Capital of North Kivu province and eastern DRC's largest city, on the Rwandan border, captured by M23 in January 2025.

    Control: M23, backed by Rwandan forces — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-03

  • Bukavucity-2.5083, 28.8608

    Capital of South Kivu province on Lake Kivu, seized by M23 in February 2025 shortly after the fall of Goma.

    Control: M23, backed by Rwandan forces — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-03

  • Kinshasacity-4.4419, 15.2663

    The Democratic Republic of Congo's capital, on the Congo River in the far west of the country, seat of President Félix Tshisekedi's government.

    Control: Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo — Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker, as of 2026-08-03

  • Kisanganicity0.5167, 25.2000

    Major Congo River port city in the country's northeast interior, a historic strategic prize in successive Congolese conflicts.

  • Benicity0.4906, 29.4736

    North Kivu city near the Ugandan border that has been a recurring target of attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

  • Butembocity0.1500, 29.2833

    Commercial hub in North Kivu province, north of Goma, situated amid overlapping armed-group activity in the eastern Congo conflict zone.

  • Uviraborder-3.4000, 29.1500

    South Kivu town on Lake Tanganyika near the Burundian border, a strategic gateway between eastern DRC and the African Great Lakes region.

  • Kasindiborder0.1667, 29.7000

    Main official border crossing between North Kivu and Uganda, a key commercial trade route into eastern DRC.

Loading satellite map…

Sentinel-2 cloudless by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2020) — CC-BY 4.0

Where to go for the full picture

This map page is a fast, visual companion. The 8 locations plotted above (3 with a sourced, dated control status) are the same ones listed under the map heading, colour-keyed to match their pin. For the complete profile — actors, conflict type, intensity, timeline, and continuously updated headlines — see the Full DR Congo conflict tracker.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a live map of the DR Congo conflict?

Yes. This page plots 8 key locations for the DR Congo conflict on a satellite map, 3 of them with a sourced, dated control status, covering the areas most frequently searched for. Coordinates and descriptions are listed below the map for anyone whose browser cannot load the interactive layer.

How current is the control status shown here?

Every control claim on this page shows the source it came from and the date it was current as of, directly beneath the location it describes. Locations without a listed control status are shown for geographic reference only, without an unsourced control claim.

Where can I read the full DR Congo conflict briefing?

See the Full DR Congo conflict tracker for the complete profile, or the DR Congo conflict briefing for deeper analysis.

Source provenance

  • Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker 2 days · as of 2026-08-03
  • News feed 0 days · as of 2026-08-05
Date Change Source
2026-08-05 Headlines refreshed News feed
2026-08-03 Goma control updated Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker
2026-08-03 Bukavu control updated Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker
2026-08-03 Kinshasa control updated Council on Foreign Relations, Global Conflict Tracker

Cite this record & export data

ACM-COD-M23 — DR Congo Map: Live Conflict Map & Key Locations. Global Armed Conflicts Map. https://armedconflicts.org/maps/dr-congo-m23-conflict-map.html
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Sources & disclaimer. Location control status is sourced and dated inline for every claim above. Broader conflict data is aggregated from ACLED, UCDP, the CFR Global Conflict Tracker, and Google News. This site is a secondary aggregation, not a primary source. Independently verify all data for high-stakes applications.