The spokesperson for the M23 rebel movement, Willy Ngoma, was reportedly killed early Tuesday in a drone strike by Congolese government forces in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The attack, which occurred around 3:00 a.m., struck Rubaya, a town in North Kivu known for its coltan mines that supply roughly 15 percent of the world’s coltan, according to a senior M23 official cited by Reuters. The strike follows several days of drone operations across the region.
Ngoma’s death emerges as both Kinshasa and M23 work to uphold a Qatar-brokered ceasefire. The arrangement includes a joint monitoring and verification system with representatives from Qatar, the United States, and the African Union overseeing compliance.
Although the M23 has yet to formally announce Ngoma’s passing, statements by another spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, confirmed the drone operations in Rubaya.
“Since 2:43 a.m, drones from the coalition forces of the Kinshasa regime have been indiscriminately bombing the town of Rubaya, spreading terror and massacring innocent civilians,” Kanyuka said.
He condemned the DRC government’s actions, alleging deliberate targeting of civilians, and added that similar strikes hit Kalehe.
“The Kinshasa regime has, once again, trampled the ceasefire underfoot. In flagrant violation of its commitments, it has unleashed a total war across all front lines and beyond. At precisely 07:00, its coalition forces launched savage and deliberate attacks against densely populated areas of Kitendebwa, Kashihe, and Kiduveri, in the territory of Kalehe,” Kanyuka said.
“These criminal attacks, still ongoing, unequivocally demonstrate the Kinshasa regime's intent to sow terror, chaos, and death among civilian populations. The AFC/M23 calls upon the Congolese people as witnesses.”
