GOMA, Democratic Republic of the Congo — The Alliance Fleuve Congo/March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) has announced a broad restructuring of the leadership of major public higher education institutions in areas under its administration in North and South Kivu, appointing new directors, academic secretaries, research officials, administrators and budget managers across institutions in Goma and Bukavu.
The appointments are contained in Decision No. 036/COORDO/AFC-M23/FRK/SB/2026, dated August 7, 2026. According to the document released by the movement, the measure concerns management committees overseeing higher education, university instruction, scientific research and innovation. The decision states that the changes were considered necessary to fill vacancies within institutional management structures and improve the functioning of universities and institutes in what AFC/M23 describes as “liberated territory.”
The document cites provisions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Constitution and national legislation governing education, university administration and academic personnel. By grounding the appointments in existing Congolese legal frameworks, AFC/M23 presents the decision as part of its effort to establish administrative continuity in territories that have shifted away from the authority of the central government in Kinshasa. The development comes as AFC/M23 continues exercising significant administrative control in Goma and Bukavu following major territorial gains beginning in 2025. Independent reporting and international documentation have described the movement as operating parallel administrative structures in eastern DRC.
At the Institut Supérieur de Commerce de Goma (ISC-Goma), Professor Jaribu Muliwavyo was appointed Director General. Professor Gahamanyi Niyonzima was named Academic Secretary General, Professor Olenga Tsuba Charles was appointed Secretary General for Research, Bafakulera Mizerero was named Administrative Secretary General, and Mwamini Rwanika was appointed Budget Administrator.
The Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Goma (ISTM-Goma) will be headed by Professor Ndayazi Byemero Désiré as Director General. Professor Kambale Nyondo Jean-Pierre was appointed Academic Secretary General, while Rurahoze Biterahoga will oversee research. Myatsi Ndoole was named Administrative Secretary General and Nkurikiye Rubibi was appointed Budget Administrator.
AFC/M23 also introduced a new management team at the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Appliquées de Goma (ISTA-Goma), appointing Professor Kambale Mondo as Director General. Professor Twizere Bakunda will oversee academic affairs, Ndyamiye Semivumbi will lead research administration, Mulume Gentil will serve as Administrative Secretary General, and Bazimaziki Munyamasoko Patrick will manage the institution’s budget.
At the Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Goma (ISP-Goma), Professor Butoa Balingene was appointed Director General, with Professor Mushunganva Sambukere responsible for academic affairs and Professor Kambale Mukwemulere overseeing research. Muchanga Niyoyita was appointed Administrative Secretary General and Katembo Mbakaniaki Budget Administrator.
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The restructuring extends to South Kivu. At ISC-Bukavu, Professor Somora Patrick was appointed Director General, while Professor Balihamwabo Tulinabo Christian will oversee academic affairs. Professor Bengeya Machozi Déo was selected to lead research administration, Ruhaguruka Laban will handle general administration and Professor Ekyoci Sady Rex will oversee the institution’s budget.
At ISTM-Bukavu, Dr. Kyambikwa Bisangamo Célestin was appointed Director General. Professor Wimba Kayange Louisette will oversee academic affairs, Ndachetere Mutayongwa John will manage research administration, Avoki Fatima Alliance will serve as Administrative Secretary General and Amani Lushoka Vital-Prosper was appointed Budget Administrator.
The decision additionally appoints Professor Amisi Safari to lead ISP-Bukavu and Professor Muyisa Kavatsurwa Séverin as Director General of the Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural de Bukavu. At the Institut Supérieur des Arts et Métiers de Bukavu, Professor Riziki Walumona Jacques was appointed Director General. The Université Officielle de Bukavu will be headed by Professor Mano Macumu Innocent as Rector, supported by officials responsible for academic affairs, research, administration and financial management.
The decision was signed in Goma by Bertrand Bisimwa, identified in the document as M23 president and AFC deputy coordinator responsible for political, administrative, legal and diplomatic affairs, and approved by AFC political coordinator Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo. United Nations documentation has previously identified Bisimwa as M23’s political leader and an AFC official, while international bodies have raised concerns about AFC/M23’s parallel governance structures in eastern Congo.
In explaining the administrative rationale, the official decision says there was an “urgent” need to provide higher education, scientific research and innovation institutions with leadership and to address vacancies in their management committees. The document links those appointments to an effort to improve institutional operations in territories administered by the movement.
The appointments represent another significant expansion of AFC/M23’s involvement in civilian governance, moving beyond security and territorial administration into the management of education, research and public institutions. They also come amid continuing armed tensions in eastern DRC and parallel diplomatic initiatives aimed at reducing the conflict. Fighting involving AFC/M23-aligned forces and pro-government forces has continued in parts of South Kivu even as regional and international actors pursue ceasefire and peace mechanisms.
For students, lecturers and communities in Goma and Bukavu, the immediate significance of the decision will depend on whether the newly appointed administrations can maintain academic programs, research activities, institutional finances and essential university services amid the region’s continuing political and security uncertainty. The appointments nevertheless signal AFC/M23’s intention to consolidate civilian administrative structures across North and South Kivu, with higher education now becoming a prominent component of its governance agenda.
