According to a report published on July 30, 2026, by African Facts, one of the key figures linked to the Habyarimana family is Kaumbu Mandungu Bula, commonly known as “Kao,” an adviser to DRC President Félix Tshisekedi.
Kao is the son of Antoine Mandungu Bula Nyati, who served as a minister under former President Mobutu Sese Seko and died in Benin in 2002.
The investigation states that Kao’s relationship with the Habyarimana family dates back many years, beginning when they met in Belgium.
According to the report, in November 2007, Kao prepared documents for the registration of what was presented as a charitable organization in Kinshasa. The organization was registered in 2008 as a branch of a UK-based charity established in London.
Although the organization was officially described as charitable, the investigation alleges that it primarily served financial interests and had close links to the Habyarimana family.
Jean-Luc Habyarimana, the youngest son of the former president, is identified as one of the central figures behind the establishment of the Kinshasa branch and several other organizations presented as charities. The report also suggests that other members of the Habyarimana family were connected to these entities.
The investigation alleges that between 2008 and 2009, money was transferred through various organizations before ending up in the hands of members of the Habyarimana family and their close associates.
It claims that on May 20, 2008, Jean-Luc Habyarimana signed an investment agreement worth €125,000 with the UK-based organization.
Under the agreement, the organization was expected to repay him €250,000 between December 2008 and December 2009, representing what the report describes as a 100 percent return.
The investigation further alleges that from late 2007, Kao and individuals linked to the Habyarimana family received at least €382,000. According to the report, the funds originated from a Swiss bank account that had itself received money from a company registered in Panama.
It also claims that between 2008 and 2009, Jean-Luc Habyarimana received €325,000 through UK-registered organizations established between 2007 and 2009.
However, African Facts states that it found no evidence that organizations registered in the DRC, the Central African Republic, and Gabon carried out genuine charitable activities.
Emails referencing Agathe Kanziga
The investigation also cites emails allegedly exchanged between Kao and Jean-Luc Habyarimana.
One email, dated May 17, 2009, reportedly asks whether Jean-Luc’s elder brother, Léon Habyarimana, had received funds and requests that the family promptly notify Kao whenever their mother, Agathe Kanziga, received money.
According to the report, Kao wrote: “Hello everyone. I’m writing because Léon has not told me anything since yesterday. I think he has received the money. Please keep me informed because when Mama Agathe calls me, she doesn’t know what is happening. Communication is very important.”
Another email reportedly referred to a €15,000 transfer to Kanziga through Léon, with Kao allegedly expressing concern that her sons had not informed her about the transaction.
The report also refers to a September 6, 2016, search conducted by French gendarmes at the Habyarimana family’s home in Courcouronnes, Essonne, during an investigation into Agathe Kanziga’s suspected role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
According to the investigation, documents and computers seized during the search included an address book containing telephone numbers for family associates, including three numbers belonging to Fabien Singaye, described as a former intelligence operative under Habyarimana’s government in Switzerland, and two Belgian telephone numbers linked to Kao.
Adviser to President Tshisekedi
In January 2023, President Tshisekedi appointed Kao as his special adviser, placing him among the president’s closest aides involved in major political and security matters.
According to the investigation, Kao has participated in discussions involving mining agreements, arms procurement, military operations and the use of foreign mercenaries.
Kao’s close relationship with the Habyarimana family is particularly significant as fighting continues in eastern DRC between government forces and the AFC/M23 coalition.
Both the DRC government and members of the Habyarimana family, particularly Jean-Luc Habyarimana, have repeatedly accused Rwanda of supporting AFC/M23 fighters and deploying troops in eastern DRC. Rwanda has consistently rejected the allegations, describing them as baseless.
Jean-Luc Habyarimana made a discreet visit to Kinshasa in June 2024 before returning publicly in November 2025, when he was photographed during the visit. Reports indicate that he met senior DRC officials. Rwanda has previously maintained that such visits form part of a broader effort to destabilize the country.
On April 8, 2026, DRC government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya publicly praised Jean-Luc Habyarimana, describing him as someone committed to peace in the region and stating that the Congolese government would continue engaging with ‘Rwandan friends’.
The investigation also alleges that on April 16, 2024, Kao attended a meeting in Kinshasa with representatives of the Wazalendo militia, where he encouraged continued recruitment of young people into the militias.
According to reports by United Nations experts, meetings bringing together representatives of Wazalendo militia have also been attended by representatives of the FDLR, a terrorist group that has long operated in eastern DRC and has been reported to cooperate with Wazalendo factions.
The investigation concludes that the presence of individuals with longstanding ties to the Habyarimana family in positions close to the DRC’s political and military leadership could have implications for the country’s security-related decision-making.
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