DRCongo Calls for Investigation into Drone Strike that Killed Karine Buisset in Goma
The Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guillaume Ngefa, has ordered the country’s military leadership to conduct an investigation into a drone strike that killed a French humanitarian worker and two civilians in the eastern city of Goma.
The attack occurred in the early hours of March 11, 2026, when two drones struck the Himbi neighborhood in Goma. Among those killed was Karine Buisset, a French national working for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), along with two other civilians.
Authorities say the investigation aims to establish the circumstances surrounding the strike and determine who was responsible.
The rebel alliance Alliance Fleuve Congo / March 23 Movement, which currently controls Goma, accused the national army, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, of carrying out the attack.
According to the group, the strike was intended to target its senior leaders, including Corneille Nangaa and Sultani Makenga.
AFC/M23 further claimed that Congolese government forces have recently intensified attacks on its positions and on civilians. The group also cited a previous incident that killed its military spokesperson, Willy Ngoma.
However, a Congolese lawmaker has offered a different account. Willy Mishiki, who represents the Walikale territory in the national parliament, said the attack was carried out by the Wazalendo militia, a coalition of local armed groups that supports the Congolese government in its fight against M23.
Mishiki, who was expelled from the Wazalendo coalition on March 13, claimed the militia is regrouping near Virunga National Park in preparation for a new offensive.
“We are regrouping in Virunga Park to retake the city of Goma,” Mishiki said. “We are currently in Nyiragongo, just a few kilometers from Goma. That is why the attack occurred.”
Despite reports and testimonies suggesting possible involvement of government forces, Justice Minister Guillaume Ngefa said a formal investigation by the military command is necessary to clarify responsibility for the strike.
On March 14, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya suggested that AFC/M23 could have carried out the attack itself and blamed it on the FARDC and its allies — a claim that some observers viewed as an attempt to deflect responsibility.
The killing of the French aid worker has also drawn the attention of authorities in France. On March 13, the country’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office, the Parquet National Antiterroriste (PNAT), announced it would open its own investigation to determine the circumstances of the attack.
The probe is expected to examine whether the drone strike constitutes a terrorist act or a violation of international humanitarian law.
