DR Congo Offers Rebel Leaders a $5M Bounty in the Face of Increasing Conflict

Corneille Nangaa is one of three M23 rebel leaders who could be apprehended, and the DRC has offered a $5 million prize.

The M23 rebel group, which has taken over much of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025, has offered a $5 million (£4 million) reward for information that leads to the arrest of three of its leaders.

Former DRC election commission chief Corneille Nangaa, who is currently in charge of the Congo River Alliance, a coalition that includes M23, is one of the targets. Nangaa has staged open rallies in cities that are under its control. The political leader of M23, Bertrand Bisimwa, and its military commander, Sultani Makenga, are also eligible for the bounty.

All three individuals were found guilty of treason and condemned to death in absentia by a DRC military court in 2023. A $4 million reward has also been offered by the authorities for the capture of their accomplices.

Despite the rewards, the Congolese army has had difficulty defeating the M23 rebels, who are supported by Rwanda, therefore it is unclear if the rebel leaders would be apprehended. Goma and Bukavu, two important centers in the resource-rich area, are among the major eastern cities that the rebels have taken over.

Since the military is unable to regain power, President Félix Tshisekedi has turned his attention to enlisting international support for sanctions on Rwanda, which he claims is supporting M23. Last year, a United Nations study claimed that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were supporting M23 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced and many have died as a result of the continued conflict, which has made the already serious humanitarian situation worse.

A strategic move, DRC is asking for U.S. assistance in return for access to its important minerals, like as coltan and gold, which are essential parts of electronics like cell phones.

According to presidential spokesperson Tina Salama, Tshisekedi was advising American businesses to purchase directly from Congo instead of obtaining minerals from Rwanda, which she claimed was stealing them from DRC, in response to reports that the DRC was providing these resources in exchange for military assistance.

Although Rwanda admits to supporting M23, it denies stealing minerals from the DRC, claiming that its participation is necessary to keep the conflict from spreading to its borders. Kigali has also charged that the Congolese government is collaborating with the FDLR, an armed organization associated with the 1994 Rwandan genocide that murdered 800,000 people, primarily ethnic Tutsis.

Tutsis lead both the M23 and the Rwandan government, and the Congolese government adamantly rejects any cooperation with the FDLR, which Rwanda refers to as a “genocidal militia.”

The effectiveness of Tshisekedi’s diplomatic efforts and the effect of the bounty on rebel commanders are yet unknown as the crisis heats up.