Eastern DR Congo experienced record number of drone attacks in February - report
Government forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo intensified the use of air power and drone strikes in the country’s conflict-torn east during February, despite ongoing ceasefire efforts, according to newly released conflict data.
The findings are contained in a report published on March 9 by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), a US-based independent organisation that tracks global conflict trends.
According to ACLED, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) carried out the highest number of aerial strikes last month as it attempted to support ground offensives conducted alongside allied Wazalendo militia groups against positions held by the March 23 Movement (M23) and the broader AFC/M23 coalition.
The operations were reported in several key territories in eastern DR Congo, including Mwenga Territory, Masisi Territory, and Fizi Territory.
ACLED said the Congolese military relied heavily on aerial assets during the operations.
“It deployed an arsenal of Chinese CH-4 and Turkish TAI Anka drones, along with fighter jets and attack helicopters,” the report stated.
The growing use of aerial warfare has contributed to rising tensions in the region, particularly in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, where repeated strikes have reportedly targeted both rebel positions and densely populated areas.
The report also highlighted a major incident during the fighting in February. According to ACLED, the attacks resulted in the death of AFC/M23 military spokesperson Willy Ngoma, who was reportedly killed on February 24 near the mining town of Rubaya in Masisi Territory.
In response to the aerial campaign, the AFC/M23 movement also launched drone strikes of its own, targeting a FARDC command centre in Kisangani, which is described as a key operational base for the Congolese army’s aerial missions.
ACLED’s report further notes that the Congolese military relied on the support of several private military contractors during these operations. Among them is Vectus Global, which has reportedly been operating in the country to assist in the management and taxation of mining revenues under the leadership of Erik Prince, the former head of the private military company Blackwater.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated further on the night of March 11 when FARDC launched a strike in the eastern city of Goma. Officials from the AFC/M23 coalition claimed the attack targeted senior leaders of the movement as well as former Congolese president Joseph Kabila, though the intended targets were not hit.
Instead, the strike reportedly killed several civilians, including a French national working for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), identified as Karine Buisset.
