Rebel group March 23 Movement/Alliance River Congo (M23/AFC) has confirmed that its military spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Willy Ngoma, was killed in a drone strike carried out by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC).
The attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, 24 February 2026, in Rubaya, a coltan-mining town in Masisi territory, North Kivu province. Ngoma was staying at a residential property on Kasuku Farm when the strike hit.
The coalition of FARDC forces, known as Wazalendo (Patriots), claimed responsibility for the operation, stating that several other M23/AFC officials were also killed, including Bahati Musanga Erasto, the group’s governor for North Kivu, and Colonel Olivier Imani Nzenze. General Sultan Emmanuel Makenga reportedly fled to the Catholic parish of Mater Dei in Matanda. Wazalendo said Ngoma’s remains were recovered and secretly buried in Rutshuru territory.
M23/AFC remained silent on the matter until Sunday, when political spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka released a statement acknowledging Ngoma’s death. Kanyuka condemned the strike, accusing FARDC and its allies of deliberately violating the ceasefire and targeting both rebels and civilians far from the frontlines.
“The killing of Lt Col Ngoma is part of a campaign that continues to claim the lives of innocent people,” Kanyuka said. He added that M23/AFC had repeatedly informed peace process partners of ceasefire violations and attacks on civilians by the Congolese government in North and South Kivu.
Kanyuka also reported additional strikes over the weekend, including drone attacks in Kalingi Kakenke and a fire set to Kalongi village in Minembwe on Saturday evening. He said M23/AFC forces remain fully mobilised to defend civilians in areas affected by what he called “a war imposed by the illegitimate Kinshasa regime.”
FARDC and coalition forces have not commented on the latest clashes. Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the affected regions is deteriorating, with civilians fleeing their homes.
On 28 February, Didier Bashizi, spokesperson for South Kivu province, accused M23/AFC of being responsible for two mass graves discovered in Kavinvira and Kilomoni, Uvira, containing 151 bodies.
The renewed violence casts doubt on ongoing peace talks reportedly taking place in Doha, Qatar. Since its resurgence in 2022 under Bertrand Bisimwa and Emmanuel Sultan Makenga, M23/AFC has repeatedly clashed with the Congolese government, with both sides accusing each other of violating ceasefires. The government has also accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels, a claim denied by both Kigali and M23/AFC.
The group claims its campaign aims to fight corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination within the Democratic Republic of Congo’s political leadership. In early 2025, M23/AFC launched a rapid offensive across eastern Congo, capturing key towns and raising fears of a wider regional conflict.