There is ongoing conflict in eastern DRC, centred on North Kivu province around Goma along the border with Rwanda. Fighting between AFC/M23 rebels and Congolese forces continues to shift and remains unpredictable. The area should be considered an active conflict zone, with a credible risk from anti-aircraft weaponry, particularly at low level and on the ground near affected airports such as FZNA/Goma. The UK and Canada currently have airspace warnings in place covering the eastern portion of the Kinshasa FIR.

Major events:
Jan 2026: Fighting remains active in eastern DRC despite diplomatic efforts, with rebel forces operating around key towns near the Rwanda and Burundi borders. The security situation continues to shift quickly.
Jan 2025: Rebel forces entered Goma. Heavy fighting was reported in the city and FZNA/Goma was declared closed during the clashes.
Feb 2024: A parked civilian aircraft at FZNA/Goma was damaged by at least one bomb dropped from a drone. Looks like military aircraft were being targeted.
Jan 2023: The Rwandan military shot at a fighter jet from the Congo DRC which they claimed had busted Rwandan airspace near FZNA/Goma. Reports suggest the aircraft was hit by a MANPAD at low level - the jet landed safely but sustained heavy damage.



Read: Africa Airspace Risk, Jet Shot in Rwanda, Jan 2023 (OPSGROUP article)