AFRICA/DR CONGO - New airstrikes against Goma

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – Armed drone attacks continue on Goma, the capital of North Kivu, which has been under the control of the M23 guerrillas since January 2025. Following yesterday's bombings, March 10, which hit the residential area of the city center and caused an undetermined number of casualties, further bombings were reported today. Among the victims is a French UNICEF aid worker, according to a message posted on "X" by French President Emmanuel Macron. The Congolese army (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo, FARDC) has Chinese- and Turkish-made armed drones, which have been used to strike M23 positions in South Kivu, and then, in late February, to kill Willy Ngoma, spokesperson for the M23, in an attack near the strategic mining area of Rubaya, in the Masisi territory of North Kivu province (see Fides. 24/2/2026).
Some private military companies, including Vectus, owned by Erik Prince, former head of the private military company Blackwater, support the Congolese army in its use of drones. In the case of the Goma bombings, however, sources within MONUSCO (United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo) raise doubts about the origin of the aircraft striking the city. “Several cross-analyses suggest that the aircraft may have taken off from Rwanda. The distance and technical capabilities don’t match the Congolese army’s known bases in the region,” a source within the UN mission stated. “Technically, it’s difficult to imagine government drones taking off from Kisangani or Burundi to reach Goma. The range, control, and logistical capabilities required are simply not sufficient,” a specialist told Grand Lac Confidentiel. The fact that the targeted area is a residential neighborhood inhabited by Congolese citizens, and not the area housing M23 leaders, seems to suggest, according to the sources, that this is a false flag attack, a provocation aimed at discrediting the Kinshasa government. For now, these are only speculations drawn from anonymous sources attributed to MONUSCO officials. But they clearly illustrate the idea that the first casualty of any war is the truth. In any case, after receiving support from the Trump administration, eager to seize control of Congolese mineral resources (see Fides, 24/2/2026), the FARDC launched an offensive in South and North Kivu. A plan to discredit the Kinshasa government in the eyes of the international community could be part of the strategy to try to halt the Congolese army's advance. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 11/3/2026)

Share: