M23 Spokesperson Willy Ngoma Killed in DRC

Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson for the March 23 Movement, was killed in an army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo near Rubaya, a strategic coltan-mining hub. This incident occurred amidst ongoing Qatar-mediated ceasefire efforts between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the March 23 Movement, which had recently signed agreements to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring mechanism involving Qatar, the United States, and the African Union as observers. The Democratic Republic of the Congo had also offered strategic mining assets, including Rubaya, to the United States. Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022. The United Nations states that the March 23 Movement is backed by Rwanda and controls significant parts of North and South Kivu provinces.