Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson for the M23 rebel movement, was killed early Tuesday in a predawn drone strike near the mining town of Rubaya in North Kivu province, according to local and international officials.
Ngoma was killed early Tuesday in a predawn drone strike near the mining town of Rubaya in North Kivu province, according to a local U.N. official and a rights group.
Initially, both M23 and Congolese authorities did not immediately respond to inquiries about the strike.
However, in a statement released later Tuesday, the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo/M23 confirmed his death, saying he died around 3 a.m. near Rubaya in what it described as “tragic circumstances.”
The group said it felt “pain and consternation” over the loss and accused authorities in Kinshasa of disregarding commitments tied to peace agreements, calling on national and international observers to take note of what it described as serious violations.
Other reports citing sources close to the rebels said the killing had not yet been formally confirmed by the movement earlier in the day, highlighting confusion in the immediate aftermath of the strike.
Reuters reported that Ngoma died in a drone strike attributed by several officials to the Congolese army near Rubaya, a strategic coltan-mining hub that supplies about 15% of the global market and serves as a key financial stronghold for the rebels.
The strike came after days of intensified drone attacks in the area and amid ongoing ceasefire efforts mediated by Qatar with support from the United States and the African Union.
Ngoma was a senior officer deeply involved in M23’s operations and had previously been sanctioned by the European Union, according to international reports.
The killing of such a prominent figure is expected to heighten tensions in eastern Congo, where fighting between M23 rebels, Congolese forces and allied militias has continued despite diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities.
