DR CONGO · SECURITY
Key Facts
- The country The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a Central African nation with huge gold, cobalt and copper deposits.
- What happened On Tuesday 27 October 2026, the investigative group The Sentry published a report saying gold now funds most of the ADF militia.
- The group The ADF, or Allied Democratic Forces, is an Islamic State-linked militia on the US terrorist list since 2021.
- The place Manguredjipa lies in the Bapere sector of Lubero territory, North Kivu province, in the far east of the country.
- The numbers The Sentry estimates the militants could earn about US$1 million to US$1.6 million a year from gold sites around Manguredjipa alone.
- The size As of February 2026 the group had an estimated 600 to 700 fighters and about 2,000 dependents, the report says.
- Still open The figure is a modelled estimate from comparable armed groups, not a count of gold actually sold by Congo militants.
Congo militants could earn US$1 million to US$1.6 million a year from gold near Manguredjipa, a new estimate says. The Sentry, an investigative group, published it on Tuesday 27 October 2026 and says gold is now the main income of the ADF militia.
For US readers, the finding links a US-listed terrorist group to gold that is trafficked to Uganda. It also puts fresh pressure on refiners, traders and governments that buy or handle gold from the region.
What The Sentry Found in Eastern Congo
The Sentry’s report, titled Gold-Backed Brutality, says the ADF has become a self-reliant group sustained by conflict gold, new recruits and local support networks. It estimates that Manguredjipa alone could yield about US$1 million to US$1.6 million a year for the Congo militants.
The Sentry presents the range as an estimate rather than a measured total. The report does not claim to show gold actually sold by the group.
How the Gold Reaches Uganda
The gold economy of the Congo militants is centred on a corridor linking Manguredjipa, Mambasa and Bafwasende across North Kivu, Ituri and Tshopo. The report says coercive networks of traders, transporters and middlemen help the group stay mobile and rebuild.
From there, gold moves toward buyers and exporters across the border, along routes such as the Beni to Kasindi road and through Butembo. John Prendergast, a co-founder of The Sentry, said war gold keeps flowing to Uganda and that those responsible must be held to account.
Why Islamic State Money Matters Less Now
For years the ADF drew propaganda and cash from its link to the Islamic State, the jihadist movement known as ISIL. Those channels began to shrink in late 2024 after US sanctions hit key facilitators, the report says.
Since then gold has supplied most of the group’s money, followed by cocoa, racketeering and kidnapping. The report cites the latest UN sanctions monitoring team report as saying the ADF is now largely independent of outside Islamic State financing.
A Group Built on Abductions
Kidnapping remains the backbone of the ADF’s manpower, supplying labour, recruits and dependents while keeping communities afraid. The Sentry puts the group at 600 to 700 fighters in February 2026, with about 2,000 dependents split between Manguredjipa and Mambasa.
The Congo militants were the second deadliest non-state armed group for civilians worldwide in 2025, the report notes. Their attacks have included mass killings at churches and funerals.
Congo and Uganda Under Pressure
Since November 2021 the Congolese army and Uganda’s army have fought the ADF together in an operation called Shujaa, a Swahili word meaning hero. Ebuteli, a Congolese research institute, found that the offensive pushed the Congo militants from Beni toward Ituri and Lubero.
The Sentry argues that the operation has displaced the Congo militants rather than defeated them, and that it increasingly serves Uganda’s economic interests. It also notes that attacks on Ugandan soil have been scarce since late 2023.
What Kinshasa and the Rebels’ Rivals Are Doing
The Congolese government in Kinshasa treats the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement as its main threat, which leaves the ADF as a secondary front. The army’s strain shows in the fighting around Uvira, where Kinshasa denied a rebel advance on 27 October.
The report found no conclusive evidence of direct teamwork between the Congo militants and the M23. It does say they step up attacks whenever the army shifts its attention toward the M23.
What The Sentry Wants Done
The Sentry asks the UN Security Council, the United States, Britain and the EU to investigate how ADF-linked gold reaches Ugandan traders. It says those who knowingly or carelessly launder the metal should be considered for UN sanctions.
It also urges Uganda to keep its troops within agreed areas and asks Kinshasa to rebalance forces toward the ADF. Separately, Congo’s subcontracting regulator flagged US$20 billion paid to ineligible firms, a reminder of how thin state oversight can be.
What It Means for US Readers
The Congo militants have been a US-designated foreign terrorist organization since 2021, so American companies that handle their gold could face legal questions. US firms that buy gold from Uganda or the Congo region may be asked to show where their metal began its journey.
The Sentry asks US authorities, among others, to investigate how ADF-linked gold reaches Ugandan traders and refiners. Investors in jewellery, electronics and refining groups may now ask harder questions about their suppliers.
What Is Not Known
The US$1 million to US$1.6 million range is an estimate, and the real sum paid to Congo militants in any year is not public. It is also unclear which refiners or exporters, if any, ended up with ADF-linked gold.
It is not clear how Uganda’s government will answer the claims about its army and the gold trade. It is also not yet known whether the UN Security Council or Washington will act on the call for sanctions.
More: DR Congo news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much money do Congo militants make from gold?
The Sentry estimates the group could earn about US$1 million to US$1.6 million a year from gold sites around Manguredjipa alone. The figure is a modelled estimate, not an audited total.
Who are the Congo militants called the ADF?
The Allied Democratic Forces are an Islamist militia that began in Uganda in the 1990s and has operated in eastern Congo ever since. The United States listed it as a foreign terrorist organization in 2021, and it has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
Where is Manguredjipa?
Manguredjipa is an area in the Bapere sector of Lubero territory in North Kivu province, in eastern Congo. It sits on a gold corridor that runs through Mambasa in Ituri province to Bafwasende in Tshopo province.
Where does the gold go after it leaves the mines?
According to The Sentry, gold from ADF-controlled areas moves toward buyers and exporters in Uganda along routes such as Beni to Kasindi and through Butembo. Its final buyers and refiners have not been named.
Is the Congolese army fighting the ADF?
Yes, Congo’s army and Uganda’s army have run a joint operation against the group since November 2021. The Sentry says it has pushed the militants into new areas rather than ending the threat.
Sources: The Sentry, Gold-Backed Brutality: The ISIL-Affiliated Allied Democratic Forces in the DRC, 27 October 2026; Ebuteli and Congo Research Group, Survivre et tuer: l’irruption des ADF dans les territoires d’Irumu, Mambasa et Lubero, January 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief