Heineken no longer has operational control over facilities in the war-torn east of Congo
The Dutch brewer Heineken (HEIN.AS), opens new tab, announced on Friday that it had lost operational control and had pulled its employees from its facilities in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo that were threatened by war.
After some of its breweries were damaged and its depots raided during fighting between the army and rebels, the beverage giant said in March that its activities in three eastern cities would be suspended until it was safe to reopen.
However, the beer manufacturer reported on Friday that the situation had worsened and that military forces had seized its facilities in the two largest cities in eastern Congo, Bukavu and Goma, which are now under rebel control, as well as the surrounding areas.
“The conditions required to operate responsibly and safely are no longer present and as of 12th June 2025, we have lost operational control,” the company stated in a statement.
Bralima, Heineken’s Congo subsidiary, continues to conduct business in areas of the nation unaffected by the fighting, the company stated, adding that it would keep evaluating the changing circumstances.
In Congo, the firm has four breweries that produce Heineken beer along with other well-known brands like Primus. It had previously stated that approximately 1,000 people were directly and indirectly employed by the Bukavu facilities.
“Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our employees,” the company said in a statement released on Friday. “We have withdrawn all remaining staff from these sites and we have continued to support them financially.”
With a population of over 100 million, Congo is a significant market for Heineken’s businesses in the Middle East and Africa, which account for over 14% of its total revenues.
About one-third of Heineken’s Congolese business was previously derived from its businesses in the cities of Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira.
This year, fighting intensified in eastern Congo as the M23 rebel group made a swift breakthrough that sparked concerns about a larger conflict.
Congo claims that Rwanda is arming and supplying M23. Rwanda has denied aiding M23 for a long time.
A draft peace deal that is anticipated to be completed next week was initialed by the technical teams of the two nations and the US on Wednesday.
