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, two senior rebel officials, a regional diplomat, and a Western adviser to the government said.
The attack happened near Rubaya, in North Kivu, at around 3 a.m. (0100 GMT), and came after several days of sustained drone attacks on the area by the Congolese army.
‘’Ngoma died at approximately 3:00 a.m. The statement characterized his death as occurring under “tragic circumstances” but did not provide additional operational details regarding the incident. AFC/M23 expressed strong criticism of the government in Kinshasa, accusing it of failing to honor commitments, particularly those related to the Doha framework agreement”. Said Alumba Lukamba Omokoko, Director of Cabinet
Rubaya is a strategic coltan-mining hub that produces around 15% 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 area.
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, opens new tab since December 2022 for his role as the M23 spokesperson.
M23, which the United Nations says is backed by Rwanda, controls large swathes of North and South Kivu provinces after a rapid offensive last year in which the rebels seized the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu.
The rebels briefly captured the city of Uvira in December and the Congolese army retook it last month. Congo reopened its border with Burundi there on Monday.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo deployed a joint exploratory assessment team to Uvira this week to support the implementation of the ceasefire monitoring mechanism agreed in Doha and evaluate security conditions in the area.
Willy Ngoma had served as the military spokesperson within the political coordination of AFC/M23, a coalition active in eastern Congo. His death marks a significant development for the movement amid ongoing tensions in the region.
Reporting by Clement Bonnerot and Jessica Donati in Dakar, David Lewis in London and Congo newsroom; Editing by Robbie Corey-Boulet, Andrew Heavens and Alex Richardson
