A drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo this week killed M23 military spokesperson, Lt Col. Willy Ngoma and at least nine others, but narrowly missed the rebel group’s military commander, who escaped unharmed, sources have revealed.
The strike targeted an area near Rubaya, a strategic mining hub under M23 control. Rubaya produces about 15% of the world’s coltan supply and was recently included on a shortlist of mining assets the Congolese government is offering to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.
Ngoma’s death marks a significant escalation in the conflict, removing one of M23’s most prominent senior figures at a time when fighting is intensifying despite mediation efforts, including those led by Qatar, to secure a ceasefire.
Details of Tuesday’s strike were provided by an intelligence source, two rebel sources, a senior military official, and a United Nations source. All spoke on condition of anonymity. M23 has not issued an official comment, and a spokesperson for Congo’s army did not respond to requests for comment.
According to two sources, nine bodies were transported from the strike site to Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo. A senior military official said at least seven additional bodies could not be recovered because they were burned beyond recognition.
Sources said M23 military commander Sultani Makenga had been in the area shortly before the strike. A spokesperson for the Wazalendo, a coalition of self-defense groups fighting alongside Congolese forces, claimed in a statement that Makenga fled to a nearby church.
Meanwhile, residents reported continued fighting on Wednesday in Masisi territory between M23 rebels, whom U.N. experts say are backed by Rwanda and Congolese forces supported by Wazalendo fighters.
In a series of posts on X since Tuesday, M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka accused Congolese forces of triggering a “total war across all front lines” in several parts of North and South Kivu provinces.
Bertrand Bisimwa, president of the M23 and deputy coordinator of the politico-rebel movement AFC/M23, in a statement made public on his X account, accused the Congolese government of having “trampled the ceasefire” by launching, in his view, “a generalized offensive across all front lines and beyond.”
He describes a “coordinated and extensive operation” that would reflect “a deliberate choice of the military option” on the part of Kinshasa.
In his message, Bertrand Bisimwa also expresses his “deep concern” over what he calls the inaction of the international community. He laments the absence of a “clear and visible initiative” aimed at securing the immediate halt of military operations that he attributes to government forces.
“No public reprimand, no condemnation. No perceptible action seems to have been taken to prevent the risk of escalation,” he asserts, denouncing a “silence” that he finds in stark contrast to “the speed of reactions” when the M23 claims to act in “legitimate defense.”
