A recent drone strike carried out by the Forces armées de la République démocratique du Congo (FARDC) has resulted in the death of AFC/M23 military spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Willy Ngoma, along with six other officers and their escorts.
According to available reports, the attack also left several senior rebel commanders critically injured, including Major General Sultani Makenga and Brigadier General Justin Musanga Gaceri.
During an emergency closed-door meeting of the AFC/M23 high command, chaired by Brigadier General Bernard Maheshi Byamungu, the group’s second-in-command, the notable absence of key military leaders highlighted the scale of the losses.
The targeted officers were traveling together in the same convoy en route to Masisi, where they were expected to oversee major operations against FARDC forces and their Mai-Mai allies, who have recently been regaining territory from RDF/M23 forces.
Preliminary information indicates that the injured commanders sustained severe shrapnel wounds during the drone strike, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at approximately 2:40 a.m.
