State Exams Proceed in Rebel-Held Eastern Congo Amid Fragile Truce

 June 6 – Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) — In a rare display of coordination between the Congolese government and M23 rebels, tens of thousands of secondary school students in eastern Congo sat for national state exams this week, despite the region being largely under rebel control.

The exams, which serve as a gateway to university education, began Monday and will continue through mid-June across the central African nation. In the conflict-hit east, their administration represented a remarkable logistical achievement — requiring secure transportation of examination materials from the capital Kinshasa into territories held by the Rwanda-backed M23 movement.

“We were among those who went to Kinshasa to collect the items,” said Jean-Marie Mwayesi, an education official in South Kivu province. “Thanks to the combined efforts of our teams and partners, all 111 centres we cover have been served.”

The M23 insurgency, which earlier this year seized control of major cities in North and South Kivu, is seeking to bolster its claims of governance capability. The group’s cooperation with Kinshasa for the exam process comes amid ongoing international efforts — led by African leaders alongside mediators from Washington and Doha — to secure a negotiated peace in a conflict deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Although the M23 has called for the removal of President Félix Tshisekedi’s administration, its leadership affirmed the importance of national unity in education.

“Our presence in the eastern part of our country does not make this a separate country,” M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa told Reuters. “The education of our children is apolitical. It must be protected against any political divergence because we all work for the interest and well-being of our children.”

Last month, the government announced it would waive exam fees — typically over $40 — for students in North and South Kivu, citing the security crisis as justification.

Despite the precarious security situation and long-standing allegations of human rights abuses against M23 — including alleged executions of civilians, which the group denies — the exams were conducted without incident in several key areas.

In Bukavu, the South Kivu regional capital that fell under rebel control in February, students expressed cautious optimism. “Yes, security is there. I can still see a few people outside, responsible for keeping us safe. There are no disturbances, no noise, everything is going well,” said student Exauce Katete, referring to plainclothes security officers stationed outside the exam venue by M23.

Of the 44,000 students registered in Mwayesi’s zone, nearly 42,000 were able to sit for the exams. The rest, he suggested, may have been displaced by ongoing clashes.

While peace talks remain fragile, this rare collaboration between adversaries over a matter of national importance has offered a glimpse of what coordinated governance might look like in eastern Congo — a region long marred by violence, displacement, and instability.

Reporting by Congo Newsroom; additional reporting by Sonia Rolley; writing by Robbie Corey-Boulet; edited by Mark Heinrich.