Nine dead in DRCongo drone strike that killed M23 spokesperson
A drone strike in eastern Congo this week killed Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson of the M23 rebel group, and left at least nine people dead, according to four sources who spoke to Reuters.
The strike occurred near Rubaya, a strategic mining hub under M23 control. Rubaya is known for producing an estimated 15% of the world’s coltan supply, a mineral critical to the global electronics industry. The site was recently included on a shortlist of mining assets proposed by the Congolese government to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.
Commander Narrowly Escapes
Sources said the drone strike narrowly missed M23’s military commander, Sultani Makenga, who was reportedly in the area shortly before the attack but escaped unharmed.
A spokesperson for the Wazalendo, a coalition of self-defense militias fighting alongside the Congolese army, alleged in a statement that Makenga fled to a nearby church following the strike. The claim has not been independently verified.
Casualties and Destruction
Two sources confirmed that nine bodies were transported from the strike site to Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo. A senior military official told Reuters that at least seven additional victims could not be recovered because their bodies had been reduced to ashes by the blast.
Details of Tuesday’s strike were provided to Reuters by an intelligence source, two rebel sources, a senior military official, and a United Nations source. All spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter.
M23 has not issued an official statement regarding the strike. A spokesperson for the Congolese army did not respond to requests for comment.
Rising Tensions Despite Mediation Efforts
Ngoma’s death marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, removing one of M23’s most prominent and visible leaders.
The attack comes despite renewed diplomatic efforts to broker a ceasefire, including mediation initiatives led by Qatar. Fighting has continued to intensify across North and South Kivu provinces.
In a series of posts on X since Tuesday, M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused Congolese forces of initiating what he described as a “total war across all front lines.”
