A senior military spokesman for the M23 rebel movement, Lieutenant-Colonel Willy Ngoma, was killed in a drone strike by Congolese forces near the strategic mining town of Rubaya in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 24 February 2026, multiple sources confirm.
Ngoma, a key figure in the Rwanda-backed March 23 Movement, had been a prominent voice for the rebels amid ongoing clashes with the Congolese army, which has intensified operations in North Kivu province despite ceasefire efforts.
The pre-dawn strike, attributed to DRC army drones, also killed other fighters, according to senior rebel officials and diplomats. The attack came amid fragile peace negotiations brokered by Qatar, the United States, and the African Union, which aimed to monitor a recently agreed ceasefire mechanism that both sides have accused the other of violating.
Rubaya is a key coltan-mining hub producing roughly 15 % of the world’s supply, making it a crucial financial and strategic target for both sides.
Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions for his role as the M23 spokesman and was widely viewed as central to the group’s communications.
The strike is likely to heighten tensions in the region, where the conflict has displaced millions and repeatedly undermined efforts to secure lasting stability.
