Mudiamvita made this admission during a visit to the Uvira territory in South Kivu province, aimed at boosting the morale of soldiers and local militia members fighting against AFC/M23.

Congolese soldiers and local militias in Uvira are largely composed of those who had fled when AFC/M23 took control of the city of Bukavu on February 16, just two weeks after capturing Goma, another key city in the region.

Since AFC/M23 took control of Bunagana town in North Kivu province in June 2022, the DRC military has explained to the Congolese people that their retreat was strategic, allowing them to regroup and prepare to reclaim lost territories.

Mudiamvita was questioned about the frequent claims by the DRC military that they were retreating for strategic reasons, only to lose further ground. He explained that the root cause was the poor living conditions of the soldiers.

"If soldiers are not given adequate resources and are living in poor conditions, what results can you expect from them? The blame lies with politics. That is why we are to improve the situation," he stated.

Military budget increase

As the conflict in eastern DRC worsened, the government decided to significantly increase the military budget. Last year, the government allocated $19.5 billion over five years to the military and other security sectors, amounting to $3.8 billion per year.

In 2023, the government raised the military budget by 300%, increasing it from $330 million in 2022 to $1 billion. This increase has been largely used to purchase modern military equipment, including fighter jets, refurbish military infrastructure, and train new soldiers.

However, soldiers—especially those on the front lines—have complained about low salaries and delayed payments. Reports indicate that some of the funds sent from Kinshasa never reached the eastern region, as senior officers allegedly pocketed the money instead.

Last month, the DRC government announced an increase in the basic salary of soldiers to $500 per month. However, there is little confidence that the increase will be properly distributed, as many believe corrupt officials will continue to divert the funds.

Many leaders in the DRC are known for their dishonesty, and when an opportunity arises, they exploit the system for personal gain. Mudiamvita himself has been accused of similar actions.

Mining industry leaders in the former Katanga province recently revealed that when Mudiamvita became Minister of Defense, he and his colleagues quickly took control of some of the region’s mining operations.

One of them said, "We wondered where the money went, but the answer is simple: everyone comes to Lubumbashi and Kolwezi to fend for themselves. Ministers always come to our provinces to take their envelopes... they don’t come to help us; they come to defend themselves."

Although Mudiamvita acknowledges that politicians play a significant role in the DRC military’s defeats, the junior soldiers have paid the price. Many of them have been imprisoned since early 2022 for deserting the battlefield.

These junior soldiers have been tried in various courts in North and South Kivu provinces and have been sentenced to death for desertion.

Some of the Congolese soldiers who fled to Rwanda in January 2025 after the fall of Goma to M23 rebel group.

The Minister of Defense of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Guy Kabombo Mudiamvita, has admitted that the government played a role in the defeat of its military forces by the AFC/M23 alliance.