The DRC has doubled the pay for its soldiers and police officers, as the government tries to fix problems with corruption and low morale in its security forces. Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba Likunde Li-Botayi made this announcement, saying the change starts right away on March 28, 2025. Every military member and police officer will see twice their usual money hit their bank accounts compared to last month.
The timing matters because Congolese troops are currently fighting hard against M23 rebels across both the North and South Kivu provinces. The eastern parts of Congo have heated up again lately, with the national army working to take back important areas. Many people claim that foreign countries are secretly helping these rebel fighters against the government forces.
The pay boost comes after troubling news that foreign fighters from Romania were earning thousands each month, but regular Congolese soldiers facing combat received less than $250 monthly. This created anger among troops who felt cheated. According to officials, the March payments have already started processing through the system to all service members.
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received praise from the Finance Ministry for making what they called a major turning point for military living standards. The government expects soldiers and police will show their thanks through better service to Congo during these difficult times. Several government departments plan to run checks soon to make sure no fake names exist on payrolls. Many see this raise as both helping troop happiness and starting to fix years of missing money and bad management in defense spending.
The timing matters because Congolese troops are currently fighting hard against M23 rebels across both the North and South Kivu provinces. The eastern parts of Congo have heated up again lately, with the national army working to take back important areas. Many people claim that foreign countries are secretly helping these rebel fighters against the government forces.
The pay boost comes after troubling news that foreign fighters from Romania were earning thousands each month, but regular Congolese soldiers facing combat received less than $250 monthly. This created anger among troops who felt cheated. According to officials, the March payments have already started processing through the system to all service members.
President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo received praise from the Finance Ministry for making what they called a major turning point for military living standards. The government expects soldiers and police will show their thanks through better service to Congo during these difficult times. Several government departments plan to run checks soon to make sure no fake names exist on payrolls. Many see this raise as both helping troop happiness and starting to fix years of missing money and bad management in defense spending.
