The Democratic Republic of Congo has doubled salaries for soldiers and police, the finance ministry announced Friday, in an apparent effort to shore up morale as Rwanda-backed M23 rebels continue their rapid advance in the east.
M23 has captured eastern Congo’s two largest cities in a sweeping offensive that has killed thousands, displaced hundreds of thousands, and intensified pressure on President Felix Tshisekedi.
The finance ministry described the salary hikes as “a turning point towards better conditions” for the army.
However, soldiers on the frontlines remain skeptical. An officer in North Kivu told Reuters on Thursday that while troops had heard about the raises, many had not received even their basic salaries for two months due to banking disruptions following the fall of Goma.
“We learned that our pay has been doubled, but we haven’t yet seen it because our salaries are frozen,” the officer said.
Congo has approximately 260,000 soldiers and security personnel, with official monthly salaries ranging from $100 to $200 since 2022, according to government records. It remains unclear how the pay raise will impact the state budget.
A revised 2025 budget proposal was expected earlier this month but has yet to be submitted to lawmakers. Some analysts warn of financial mismanagement.
“These expenses are being incurred outside the budget. That’s alarming because it means there’s no oversight of actual military salaries and numbers,” said Valery Madianga, a Congolese public finance expert.
Rwanda denies accusations from Congo and the UN that it supports M23 with arms and troops, insisting its forces are acting in self-defense against Congolese forces and allied militias hostile to Kigali.