DAKAR: Willy Ngoma, spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, was killed in a drone strike by the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army in the eastern province of North Kivu early on Tuesday, according to two senior rebel officials and diplomatic sources.
The strike occurred near Rubaya, a key coltan mining hub that accounts for roughly 15% of global supply. The area is considered a major source of revenue for the M23 rebels.
Rubaya was recently listed by the Congolese government as a strategic mining asset under a proposed minerals cooperation framework with the United States.
Heavy fighting has been reported in several localities near Rubaya since Sunday, forcing hundreds of families to flee, according to civil society groups.
M23, which the United Nations says is backed by Rwanda, controls large areas of North and South Kivu provinces after an offensive last year in which it seized the cities of Goma and Bukavu.
Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022.
A Congolese army spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The strike comes amid ceasefire efforts mediated by Qatar, with both Kinshasa and M23 having agreed in Doha to establish a joint monitoring mechanism with international observers.
