French UNICEF worker among victims of a drone strike in Congo

The eastern city of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Goma, was recently hit with a drone attack, killing three people.

• Goma, a city in eastern DRC, was hit by a drone attack after a period of relative peace, resulting in three deaths, including a French UNICEF worker.
• The attack reignited hostilities between the M23 rebels and the DRC government, both blaming each other for the incident.
• One of the targeted residences was occupied by UNICEF staff and located near former President Joseph Kabila's home; another drone landed in Lake Kivu.
• Efforts to broker peace, including the Washington Accords mediated by the US, quickly fell apart, leading to renewed violence and mass displacement.

Recent reports indicate that the city, which was a conflict zone last year, owing to attacks from M23 rebels, has been hit with a drone strike.

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The strike, unfortunately, claimed three lives, including a French humanitarian from UNICEF, which was confirmed by France’s president Emmanuel Macron in a tweet.

In a quick response, the M23 rebels responded via X, noting that the attack was to be blamed on the DRC’s president, Felix Tshisekedi.

Reuters was informed by a senior AFC/M23 source that one of the properties targeted by a drone strike was being leased by UNICEF personnel.

This residence is situated in close proximity to the home of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila, within a district populated by numerous prominent business and political figures.

Furthermore, the official indicated that a second drone, intended for Corneille Nangaa, the political coordinator of AFC/M23, subsequently landed in Lake Kivu.

The mediation efforts that resulted in a brief period of truce were immediately undermined as both sides resumed hostilities, driven by mutual suspicion.

The recent attack follows weeks of drone strikes executed by M23 rebels and the Congolese government, an escalation that got a response from the United States.

Recent conflict between the M23 and DRC

The conflict between the M23 rebels and the Democratic Republic of Congo has persisted for over a year, with a brief period of optimism arising from the mediation efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump.

In December 2025, Donald Trump held a meeting in the White House between the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, and the DRC’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, where they were convinced to sign the Washington Accords.

However, just days after the signing, fighting resumed, and in less than a week after the deal was signed, the United Nations revealed that more than 200,000 people had been forced to flee renewed fighting in the eastern part of the DRC.

Both parties accused each other of violating the peace deal.

At the time, the United Nations disclosed that the resumption of hostilities had resulted in the deaths of at least 74 individuals, predominantly civilians, and 83 persons being admitted to hospitals.

By January, the United Nations reported that the M23 rebel group was attempting to establish an autonomously administered territory in the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) east.

The United States recent response to this was to impose sanctions against the Rwanda Defence Force and several senior officers, accusing them of contributing to the escalating crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Washington has demanded that Rwandan forces withdraw immediately from the mineral-rich region, where fighting has erupted despite a recent peace accord.

Rwanda has long denied supporting the M23 conflict, despite accusations from Congo, the UN, and Western governments.