Drone Strike in Goma Kills UNICEF Worker
Early Wednesday morning, March 11, 2026, drone strikes attributed to the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) targeted densely populated areas of Goma, the capital of North Kivu Province, according to officials from the AFC/M23 rebel movement.
Bertrand Bisiimwa, Vice President of AFC/M23, confirmed that the attack occurred at dawn and alleged that the drones struck residential neighborhoods far from active frontlines. The rebel group quickly released a statement accusing the government in Kinshasa of deliberately targeting civilian areas.
“This criminal act is an intolerable provocation aimed at a densely populated part of the city, putting thousands of innocent civilians at risk,” the statement said, adding that both drone strikes and heavy weapons fire have intensified along several fronts.
The incident reportedly occurred around 4:00 a.m. local time. AFC/M23 officials claim the drones were targeting upscale residential areas believed to house senior figures of the movement.
Karine Buisset
During the strike, Karine Buisset, a French national working for the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was killed after a drone hit a residential neighborhood in central Goma. Her death marks one of the most significant civilian casualties linked to the recent escalation of drone warfare in eastern Congo.
Manzi Willy, the AFC/M23-appointed vice governor of North Kivu, also reacted on social media, condemning the attack and accusing authorities in Kinshasa of acting with impunity.
“Drones attacked Goma, yet these criminals in Kinshasa continue to be protected by powerful actors,” he wrote, further criticizing what he described as international double standards in addressing the conflict.
