The Democratic Republic of Congo has paid an emotional and solemn tribute to two senior officers killed in fierce battles against the M23 rebels, marking a moment of national reflection on the ongoing conflict in the east of the country.
On Monday, a state ceremony was held at the People’s Palace in Kinshasa to honour Major General Peter Cirimwami Nkuba, the late military governor of North Kivu, and Colonel Alexis Lewis Rugabisha, deputy commander of the 12th Rapid Reaction Brigade.
The event was presided over by President Félix Tshisekedi and attended by government ministers, top military figures, and political and civilian leaders.
Major General Cirimwami, who was appointed in October 2023 to lead North Kivu following the recall of Lieutenant General Constant Ndima, died on 24 January 2025 after sustaining gunshot wounds during heavy clashes with AFC/M23 forces in Sake, near Goma. His death dealt a major blow to the army’s efforts on the volatile eastern front.
Colonel Rugabisha, a 45-year-old rising strategist known for his commitment to the troops, was killed in Kalehe, South Kivu, in January 2025 in an attack attributed to M23 rebels reportedly backed by Rwanda.
During the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita announced their posthumous promotions: Cirimwami to Lieutenant General and Rugabisha to Brigadier General. Both were admitted into the national order “Héros-Nationaux, Kabila-Lumumba” at the rank of Grand Officer and awarded the Cross of Military Bravery with a bronze palm.
Lieutenant General François Kabamba wa Kasanda delivered a moving funeral oration, praising their “efficiency and bravery” and lamenting the succession of losses in 2025: “Barely a week after the death of General Cirimwami, death knocked again at our doors, snatching from us a young officer in the prime of life, when he was only 45 years old.”
The officers’ remains were laid to rest at the Repos du Soldat cemetery in Nsele, a burial ground reserved for those who have fallen in service to the nation.
The ceremony underscored Kinshasa’s determination to continue the fight against the armed insurgency in the east and to honour the sacrifices made by its forces, even as the toll of defending the country’s territorial integrity continues to rise.
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