By Spy Uganda
Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, has been killed in a drone strike carried out by the Congolese army in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to senior rebel officials, a regional diplomat and a Western adviser to the government.
Sources said the strike occurred at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday near Rubaya in North Kivu province, following several days of sustained drone attacks targeting rebel positions in the area. The Congolese government has not officially confirmed the operation, and military authorities had not issued an immediate response by press time.
Rubaya is considered a strategic stronghold due to its rich coltan deposits, a mineral widely used in electronics manufacturing. The mining hub is estimated to produce roughly 15 percent of global coltan supply and has served as a key financial base for M23 operations. The Congolese government recently included the site among strategic mining assets under consideration for cooperation with the United States within a minerals partnership framework.
Civil society groups reported heavy fighting around Rubaya and nearby localities since Sunday, forcing hundreds of families to flee amid growing insecurity.
Ngoma’s death comes at a sensitive moment as diplomatic efforts to stabilize eastern Congo continue. Qatar has been mediating ceasefire negotiations between Kinshasa and M23, with both sides signing agreements in Doha to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism. Qatar, the United States and the African Union are expected to participate as observers.
The slain spokesperson had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 over his role within the rebel movement.
M23, which the United Nations says receives backing from Rwanda, currently controls significant territory across North and South Kivu provinces following a rapid offensive last year that saw rebels seize key cities including Goma and Bukavu. The group briefly captured the city of Uvira in December before government forces retook it last month, allowing authorities to reopen the border with Burundi earlier this week.
Meanwhile, the United Nations peacekeeping mission has deployed a joint exploratory assessment team to Uvira to support implementation of the Doha ceasefire monitoring mechanism and assess security conditions as regional tensions remain high.
