How Combat Drone Tracked and Killed M23 Spokesman Willy Ngoma
GOMA, – It began as a late-night strategy session at a quiet farmhouse in Masisi territory, North Kivu. By dawn, Lieutenant-Colonel Willy Ngoma — the military spokesperson of the March 23 Movement under the Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) — was dead, along with 18 others, after what sources describe as a precise and devastating drone strike.
According to multiple sources familiar with the events, Ngoma and several senior M23 commanders had gathered at the countryside residence of a military officer for discussions amid escalating clashes around the coltan-rich town of Rubaya. Among those present was the group’s overall military commander, Gen. Sultan Makenga.
The meeting stretched into the early hours of Tuesday. After holding talks and sharing a meal, Makenga departed the farmhouse at around 2:00 a.m., travelling with a small escort convoy. Ngoma, however, remained behind with other military colleagues for additional discussions.
At approximately 3:00 a.m., Ngoma left the farmhouse in a separate convoy, heading toward an undisclosed destination.
Little did the commanders know, sources said, that a reconnaissance drone had been hovering above the rendezvous point, tracking movements in the area.
As Ngoma’s convoy moved through Masisi in the darkness, a combat drone reportedly unleashed heavy firepower, striking the vehicles with precision.
“The strike was direct and overwhelming,” one source told ChimpReports. “The vehicles were destroyed instantly. Nineteen people were killed, including Lt. Col. Ngoma and members of his security detail.”
Among the dead were members of M23’s praetorian guard — an elite protection unit composed of battle-hardened commandos tasked with securing the movement’s top leadership. The loss of several of these commandos underscores the scale of the strike.
There was no immediate public response from the Congolese army, officially known as the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has increasingly deployed drone capabilities in operations against rebel positions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Official Confirmation
Later on February 24, the AFC/M23 confirmed Ngoma’s death in a statement issued from Goma.
“It is with sorrow and dismay that the Congo River Alliance (AFC/M23) announces the death of Comrade Willy NGOMA, military spokesperson within the Political Coordination,” the statement read.
The alliance said Ngoma was killed at approximately 3:00 a.m. and attributed the incident to what it described as “the Kinshasa regime’s blatant disregard for its commitments, particularly the Doha Framework Agreement.”
“The AFC/M23 offers its sincere condolences to the entire revolutionary community of the DRC and to the family of the man who dedicated his life to the struggle for social justice and the peaceful coexistence of all Congolese people,” the statement added.
Ngoma had become one of the most visible and vocal figures of the rebellion, frequently addressing the media and articulating the movement’s positions during renewed fighting in North Kivu.
His death marks one of the most significant blows to the alliance’s public-facing leadership in recent months.
The strike occurred near Rubaya, a strategic mining hub that has been at the centre of intensified confrontations between M23 fighters and government forces. Drone warfare has increasingly shaped the evolving conflict dynamics in eastern Congo, where control of mineral-rich territory remains fiercely contested.
Ngoma’s killing comes at a fragile moment in the region, as ceasefires and diplomatic initiatives struggle to hold amid recurring accusations of violations by both sides.
