Eastern DRC: ADF earn up to $1.6 million a year from Manguredjipa gold mines and control other gold-bearing areas, The Sentry investigation finds

A The Sentry investigation published on October 27 says illicit gold mining and trade have become the ADF’s main source of funding, with supply routes linking eastern DRC to Uganda. The armed group reportedly earns between $1 million and $1.6 million annually from mines it controls in the Manguredjipa area of Lubero territory and controls other gold-bearing areas. The report estimates the group had 600–700 operational fighters in February 2026 and says kidnappings provide labor, recruits, and families. It argues that Uganda’s military operation displaced the ADF but has not stopped gold from ADF-controlled areas flowing into Uganda.