• DR Congo restructures Afridex, adding two deputy general manager roles.
• Marcel Mbuyu returns as DGA for technical operations; Serge Bokana named DGA for administration.
• Changes come as Likasi arms complex nears completion with Chinese and Turkish partners.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has restructured Afridex, the state-owned explosives company, creating two deputy general manager posts to oversee technical and administrative functions, according to presidential orders read on national television on Wednesday, September 3.

Marcel Mbuyu Kyungu was appointed Deputy General Manager (DGA) in charge of technical and operational matters, marking his return to Afridex eight months after leaving the company. Serge Bokana, previously the sole deputy, will now serve as DGA for administration and finance. Sikabwe Asinda remains Managing Director.

Afridex, which operates under the Ministry of National Defense, holds a monopoly on the production, import, storage, and distribution of explosives and ammunition across the DRC. Its mandate is to regulate flows and ensure traceability of these products from manufacturing to end use.

Strategic timing

Mbuyu’s comeback coincides with the scheduled completion of the Likasi industrial complex, a facility under construction since May 2024 with Chinese partner Norinco and Turkish arms manufacturer MKE. The project, set to come on stream in September 2025, is designed to strengthen Congo’s arms autonomy and reduce dependence on imports.

A mechanical engineer trained in Dortmund with further qualifications in engineering management from Pretoria and defense strategy in Kinshasa, Mbuyu previously served as Afridex’s deputy from 2018 to January 2025. Before that, he spent over eight years at Rheinmetall Denel Munition in South Africa, a subsidiary of Germany’s Rheinmetall AG, where he managed supply chains and plant operations.

Timothée Manoke, intern