A rebel-held Congolese city uses damaged banknotes due to a cash shortage

BUKAVU, Congo (AP) — In the city of Bukavu in eastern Congo, Alain Mukumiro argues in a small wooden hut with a shopkeeper who refuses to take his money.

Like many in the rebel-controlled city, Mukumiro is using older, hole-punched banknotes that have been patched up and put back into circulation because of a shortage of new and intact bills.

“All my money has serial numbers, but they refuse it,” Mukumiro said, upset about his ordeal.

Mukumiro, a fridge technician, said his family faces yet another night without food, like many in Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu province.

The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group captured the city in February following an escalation of fighting between the insurgents and Congolese forces in the country's mineral-rich east. Congolese authorities closed the city’s banks as the conflict intensified, leading to a shortage of cash in the region.

The perforated notes appear to be old bills that the banks intended to destroy to take them out of circulation. It's unclear how they went back onto the market, but residents suspect they were stolen from bank buildings during the rebel takeover.

The older bills exchange for new ones at a rate of about 10-to-1, said Ruboneka Mirindi Innocent, one of several local residents who now work on the black market as money-changers.

“We keep these banknotes because we don’t know what else to do, it’s just to help each other out,” he said.

The fighting earlier this year worsened what was already one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with around 7 million people displaced and more towns and cities falling under the control of the rebels.

Banks have remained closed in Bukavu and and other key cities in the region, such as Goma, preventing the cities' residents from accessing cash. That has made life difficult in Bukavu, which once was booming with economic activity.

Having both intact and patched up notes in circulation at the same time has resulted in confusion and tensions between businesses and customers.

“It’s a real headache because some sellers accept them and others don’t,” said Mukumiro, 36. The father-of-three and his family are running out of ideas to cope as businesses decline the hole-punched banknotes — the only bills he has left.

Zihalirwa Rutchababisha, who owns a repair equipment business, said he does not accept the busted banknotes to avoid any loss.

“We are also facing the same situation as them,” Rutchababisha said about his customers caught up in the situation. “If I take them, I won’t be able to use them to purchase supplies and that would put me at a loss.”

Rutchababisha's $120 weekly profit last year has already plummeted to $20 a week under the M23, mainly as a result of dwindling sales.

In the rebel-held territories including Bukavu, several state employees once paid in cash say they now get paid via online transfers.

But this solves the problem for a select few. The state employees only account for about 2% of Bukavu’s population of over 1.3 million. Most of the city’s residents work in the informal sector and are paid in cash.

David Kyanga, a professor of economics at Bukavu’s Higher Institute of Commerce, said the only solution is for the M23-controlled cities to adopt the defective banknotes as valid means of payment in the absence of cash supplies from Congolese banking authorities.

The M23 could calm tensions by informing people that the hole-punched banknotes are valid, he said.

Last week, Patrick Busu Bwasingwi Nshombo, the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu province, asked residents to exchange their perforated notes in one of the banks the rebels opened.

But Nshombo quickly suspended the operation days later, saying the bank agents were overwhelmed by the load of banknotes brought forward to be changed.

Congo's government spokesperson in Kinshasa Patrick Muyaya said Thursday that the authorities will not send banknotes or reopen banks in rebel-held territories like Bukavu.

“No bank can open its doors in a situation of insecurity like what is happening in areas occupied by the M23,” Muyaya said at a press conference.

He questioned how banks could work with M23 when it faces U.S. Treasury sanctions.

“We don’t know who will save us,” Mukumiro said. “The government in Kinshasa turns a blind eye, and the liberators also watch the situation without taking action.”

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal. Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo contributed to this report.

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A close-up of perforated notes, which are rejected in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Friday, Aug 29, 2025. (AP Photo)

Vendors are seen at a market in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Friday, Aug 29, 2025. (AP Photo)

A currency exchanger buys perforated notes that are rejected by people in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Friday, Aug 29, 2025. (AP Photo)

A customer pays for a service with perforated notes, which are rejected in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Friday, Aug 29, 2025. (AP Photo)

A close-up of perforated notes, which are rejected in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Friday, Aug 29, 2025. (AP Photo)

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma overwhelmed No. 13 seed Idaho 89-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night.

Beers, a senior center, also had four assists and four blocks. Sahara Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 points and Payton Verhulst added 14 for the Sooners (25-7), who stopped Idaho's win streak at 18 games. The Vandals hadn’t lost since Jan. 10.

The Sooners pushed the tempo early and were intentional about being balanced. Eventually, they wore the Vandals down.

“I think we’re setting the tone for how we want to play going on into March,” Williams said.

Oklahoma will play No. 5 seed Michigan State in the second round on Sunday. The Spartans outlasted No. 12 Colorado State 65-62 in the early game on Friday.

Kyra Gardner scored 19 points and Hope Hassmann added 12 for Idaho (29-6). The Vandals shot 24.7% from the field and made just 10 of 46 3-pointers.

Oklahoma played one of its most efficient offensive halves of the season to go up 57-35 at the break. The Sooners shot 59.5% from the field and committed just four turnovers. Williams had 13 points and Verhulst had 12 at the break.

The Sooners opened the second half on an 8-1 run, including six points from Beers, to go up 65-36.

Williams drained a shot from beyond halfcourt at the end of the third quarter, but she released it just a bit too late to count. The Sooners took a 76-38 lead into the fourth.

The Sooners created positive energy and the home crowd added more.

“When we have fun, I wouldn’t say a win is guaranteed, but we play a lot better when we have fun and have a smile on our face and we rebound and we score and we assist the ball,” Williams said.

Idaho coach Arthur Moreira said there might be more smiling ahead for the Sooners.

“They’re just a complete team,” he said. “I think they’re equipped to make a big run here. As I was scouting them, it was fun to watch.”

Chavez had five assists and no turnovers, shot a solid 6 for 14 from the field and had six rebounds in her first taste of March Madness.

Strangely, she missed her first two free throws before making two later. She made 70 of 72 free throws during Southeastern Conference play and entered the night shooting 94% from the line overall this season.

Oklahoma made 15 of 21 layups while Idaho made 4 of 19.

Beers was a significant factor in both of those stats. She made five of her six layups and was a pest around the rim defensively. She was a key reason Idaho made just 10 of 35 shots inside the 3-point line.

The women's team made the 30-minute trip to Oklahoma City on Thursday to watch the Idaho men play Houston.

Many of the fans that watched that 78-47 loss showed up in Norman on Friday.

“Just to be in the Idaho section was so cool,” Hassmann said. “And then also to see those fans travel here today — kind of had our own Idaho section, which was super cool to hear them cheer for us and our band and cheerleaders.”

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Idaho guard Katlin Kangur (14) goes up to shoot beside Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez (2) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Oklahoma center Raegan Beers (15) blocks a shot by Idaho guard Ana Pinheiro (37) during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)