AFC/M23 spokesperson Lt. Col Willy Ngoma killed in drone attack

AFC/M23 military spokesperson Lt. Col Willy Ngoma was killed in a drone attack by the Congolese army coalition on Tuesday, February 24, a regional diplomat, a senior rebel official and a Western adviser to the government confirmed to reuters.

Reports about the attack emerged a few hours after rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka posted on X that Kinshasa had once again violated the ceasefire and “unleashed a total war across all front lines.” According to Kanyuka, on Tuesday, at precisely 07:00, government coalition forces “launched savage and deliberate attacks against densely populated areas” of Kitendebwa, Kashihe, and Kiduveri, in the territory of Kalehe.

He said: “These criminal attacks, still ongoing, unequivocally demonstrate the Kinshasa regime's intent to sow terror, chaos, and death among civilian populations.”

A few hours earlier, in another post on X, Kanyuka had said that since 2:43 a.m., drones of the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime indiscriminately bombed the town of Rubaya, “spreading terror and massacring innocent civilians.”

“This barbaric act constitutes a crime against humanity as well as a war crime.”

The killing comes as Qatar‑mediated ceasefire efforts continue, with Kinshasa and M23 having signed agreements in Doha to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism involving Qatar, the United States and the African Union as observers.

A drone strike targeting a military convoy early this morning reportedly killed the military spokesperson of AFC/M23. Several other senior officers survived the attack, though some sustained injuries and are receiving treatment,sources said.

The incident comes amid renewed fighting in recent days, with Kinshasa accused of intensifying operations through the deployment of drones and ground forces. According to AFC/M23 sources, Congolese government forces (FARDC), alongside Wazalendo militias, Burundian troops (FDNB), and foreign mercenaries, have launched coordinated offensives on multiple fronts.

Rubaya is a strategic coltan-mining hub that produces around 15% of the world's supply, making it a key financial stronghold for the M23 rebels.

The rebel group claims the operations constitute a violation of the ceasefire previously agreed upon by both sides. It also alleges that civilians have been caught in the crossfire, particularly in what it describes as indiscriminate drone strikes.

“The war has resumed,” a senior AFC/M23 official said, warning that “Kinshasa will bear the consequences of this latest ceasefire violation.”