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Drone Strike in Eastern Congo Kills Senior Rebel Official, Escalating Tensions
- On Tuesday, February 24, AFC/M23 military spokesperson Lt Col Willy Ngoma was killed in a Congolese army drone strike around 3:00 a.m. near Rubaya, eastern DRC.
- Since Sunday, civil society sources reported heavy fighting near Rubaya, eastern DRC, forcing hundreds of families to flee, while Lawrence Kanyuka, M23 political spokesperson, accused Kinshasa of violating the ceasefire by "unleashing a total war across all front lines".
- Ngoma, AFC/M23 military spokesperson, had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 and a United States designation in 2023; Congolese army drones struck areas where several rebel officials were reportedly killed.
- A spokesperson for the Congolese presidency declined to comment and Congo's army spokesperson did not immediately respond while The New Times has contacted AFC/M23 for comment.
- The strike's location near Rubaya positions it within global coltan supply chains, producing approximately 15% of global supply, while the rebel group obituary condemned the government's "grave acts" and alleged crime against humanity and war crimes.
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35 Articles
35 Articles
The death of the 52-year-old soldier, targeted by a drone, occurs in a difficult context for the rebels, who have been occupying for more than a year east of the country, with a risk of renewed violence.
·Paris, France
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Senior M23 commander killed in Eastern DR Congo drone strike
The military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, Lieutenant-Colonel Willy Ngoma, was killed early Tuesday in a drone strike near Rubaya in North Kivu province, multiple sources confirmed, dealing a significant blow to the rebel movement amid ongoing ceasefire efforts.
·Pointe-Noire, Congo (the)
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The conflict, which has been going on for decades, intensified in January after the rebels made unprecedented progress in the key cities of Goma and Bukavu.
·Paris, France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources35
Leaning Left10Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution48% Left
Bias Distribution
- 48% of the sources lean Left
48% Left
L 48%
C 38%
14%
Factuality
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