M23 rebel spokesperson killed in Congo army drone strike
M23 rebel group spokesperson Willy Ngoma arrives at their position amid conflict between M23 rebels and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, January 29, 2025. PHOTO | REUTERS
The military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, Willy Ngoma, was killed in an army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday, according to senior rebel officials, a regional diplomat, and a Western government adviser.
The attack occurred near Rubaya in North Kivu at around 3 a.m., following several days of sustained drone strikes on the area by the Congolese army, one of the senior M23 officials said.
Rubaya is a strategic coltan‑mining hub that produces about 15 percent of the world’s supply, making it a key financial stronghold for the M23 rebels. The Congolese government recently added the site to a shortlist of strategic mining assets being offered to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.
Civil society sources reported heavy fighting in several localities near Rubaya since Sunday, forcing hundreds of families to flee.
The killing of Ngoma comes as Qatar‑mediated ceasefire efforts continue, with Kinshasa and M23 having signed agreements in Doha to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism involving Qatar, the United States and the African Union as observers.
Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 for his role as M23 spokesperson.
A spokesperson for the Congolese presidency declined to comment, while a representative of Congo’s army did not immediately respond.
M23, which the United Nations says is backed by Rwanda, controls large parts of North and South Kivu provinces after a rapid offensive last year, during which the rebels seized the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu.
The group briefly captured Uvira in December, but the Congolese army retook the city last month. Congo reopened its border with Burundi at Uvira on Monday.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo has deployed a joint exploratory assessment team to Uvira this week to support the implementation of the Doha ceasefire monitoring mechanism and evaluate security conditions in the area.
