russia today - 2/25/2026 12:20:44 PM - GMT (+3 )
Willy Ngoma reportedly died in a drone strike near the mining town of Rubaya in the conflict-torn eastern part of the country on Tuesday
A senior spokesperson for the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has been killed in a drone strike carried out by the country’s army, multiple media outlets have reported, citing sources including a UN official.
Willy Ngoma was killed near the mining town of Rubaya in the volatile eastern province of North Kivu at about 3 AM local time on Tuesday, an M23 official told Reuters.
Ngoma, a military spokesperson for the M23, was one of the group’s most visible leaders and had been under EU, UN, and US sanctions over his role in the long-running conflict in eastern DR Congo.
The M23 has not publicly confirmed the spokesperson’s death. The Congolese government has also reportedly declined to comment on the drone strike.
The reported killing comes amid intense clashes between government forces and the rebel group, which controls large swaths of mineral-rich territory, including the Rubaya mining area in North Kivu, where much of the country’s coltan is produced.
Kinshasa has reportedly added the Rubaya site to a shortlist of strategic mining assets being offered to the US under a minerals cooperation framework. In January, Corneille Nangaa, who leads the rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo (AFC), which includes the M23, criticized the government’s deal with Washington, saying it was negotiated behind closed doors and breaches Congolese law.
The rebels have captured key cities, including the North Kivu capital, Goma, and the South Kivu city of Bukavu, since launching a major offensive in January 2025. They also seized the city of Uvira on Lake Tanganyika, near the Burundi border, in December before the Congolese army retook it last month.
The DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including M23, fighting Congolese forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Clashes escalated in early 2025, killing thousands and forcing large-scale displacement, according to UN agencies. The rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
Ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. Congolese authorities have long accused Rwanda of supporting the militants, allegations backed by a UN panel of experts. Kigali has denied the claims. The accusations have strained Rwanda’s relations with Western partners, including Belgium. In March, Kigali severed diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of harboring “neo-colonial delusions” and interfering in the conflict.
In December, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, ratified a US-brokered agreement committing Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa pledged to curb militias hostile to Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said the pact, which includes calls for a joint security mechanism, gives Washington rights to local mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he ended the decades-long conflict.
Efforts to enforce ceasefire agreements reached in Doha, mediated by Qatar, the US, and the African Union, have repeatedly faltered, with both sides accusing the other of violating the truce. Heavy fighting around Rubaya and other frontlines has forced hundreds of families to flee their homes in recent days.
The fighting has continued despite a peace accord signed between the DR Congo and Rwanda in December mediated by US President Donald Trump aimed at easing tensions and the halting violence. Kinshasa has long accused Kigali of backing the M23 – allegations Rwanda denies.
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