KINSHASA, Congo — Tensions in eastern Congo have intensified following the death of a high-ranking M23 rebel leader in a drone attack, according to United Nations officials and human rights organizations reporting Tuesday.
Willy Ngoma, a key spokesperson for the Rwanda-supported M23 movement who played a crucial role in the group’s eastern Congo operations, died in an early morning drone assault near Rubaya, a mining community in North Kivu province.
Both a local UN representative and a human rights coordinator in the region confirmed the incident to The Associated Press, requesting anonymity due to safety concerns.
Local residents informed the AP that the drone targeted a location that had recently become an M23 stronghold.
The longstanding regional conflict intensified significantly in January of last year when M23 fighters launched an unprecedented offensive, capturing the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu while extending their territorial control across multiple communities in the war-torn area.
The identity of those responsible for the drone attack remains unknown. Although President Donald Trump and Qatar have led diplomatic efforts to restore peace, fighting has persisted in recent weeks between M23 forces and Congolese military units supported by local Wazalendo militia fighters.
Neither M23 representatives nor Congolese government officials have responded to requests for comment. Both sides have repeatedly blamed each other for breaking the terms of a ceasefire agreement brokered with assistance from international and regional mediators.
