M23 Rebel Spokesperson Killed In Congo Army Drone Strike, Officials Say

DAKAR,  (Reuters) — The military spokesperson of the March 23 Movement (M23), Willy Ngoma, has been killed in a Congolese army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to two senior rebel officials, a regional diplomat and a Western adviser to the government.

The strike occurred near Rubaya in North Kivu at around 3 a.m. (0100 GMT), following several days of sustained drone operations by the Congolese military in the area, one senior M23 official said.

Rubaya is a strategic coltan-mining hub producing roughly 15% of the world’s supply, making it a crucial financial base for the rebels. The Congolese government recently included the site among strategic mining assets proposed to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.

Civil society sources reported heavy clashes around Rubaya since Sunday, displacing hundreds of families.

Ngoma’s death comes amid ongoing ceasefire mediation led by Qatar. Kinshasa and M23 signed agreements in Doha establishing a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, with Qatar, the United States and the African Union serving as observers.

Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 for his role within M23.

A spokesperson for the Congolese presidency declined to comment, and the army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

M23, which the United Nations says receives backing from Rwanda, controls significant areas of North and South Kivu provinces after a rapid offensive last year, including the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu.

The rebels briefly seized Uvira in December before the Congolese army recaptured it last month. Congo reopened its border with Burundi at Uvira on Monday.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission has deployed an exploratory assessment team to Uvira to support implementation of the Doha ceasefire mechanism and assess security conditions on the ground.