Lt Col Willy Ngoma Killed in Drone Attack in Rubaya

Lt. Col. Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson of the AFC/M23 Rebel movement, was reportedly killed in a drone strike carried out by the Congolese army coalition on Tuesday, February 24, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Details surrounding the strike remain limited, and there has been no official confirmation from the armed group at the time of reporting.

News of the alleged drone attack surfaced only hours after AFC/M23 political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka issued a series of statements on X accusing the government in Kinshasa of breaching a ceasefire agreement.

In his posts, Kanyuka claimed that Congolese government coalition forces had escalated hostilities and launched what he described as a “total war across all front lines.”

According to Kanyuka, at precisely 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, coalition forces began what he characterized as “savage and deliberate attacks” targeting densely populated areas in the Kalehe territory.

He specifically cited the localities of Kitendebwa, Kashihe, and Kiduveri, alleging that these areas came under heavy assault.

He further claimed that the attacks were ongoing and accused the Kinshasa government of intentionally seeking to instill fear and chaos among civilian populations.

In an earlier post the same day, Kanyuka alleged that beginning at 2:43 a.m., coalition drones carried out bombardments on the town of Rubaya.

He described the strikes as indiscriminate and accused government forces of spreading terror and causing civilian casualties.

Kanyuka labeled the alleged actions as barbaric, asserting that they amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Congolese government had not immediately responded publicly to the accusations at the time of writing.

Efforts to obtain official comment from AFC/M23 regarding the reported death of Lt. Col. Ngoma were also ongoing.

The situation remains fluid, with conflicting claims emerging from both sides amid heightened tensions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.