The military spokesperson for the M23 rebel movement, Willy Ngoma, was killed in an army drone strike in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo early on Tuesday (24 February), according to a regional diplomat, a senior rebel figure and a Western adviser to the government.

Two senior M23 officials, along with the regional diplomat and the Western adviser, said the strike hit a target near Rubaya in North Kivu at around 3 a.m., following several days of continuous drone operations by the Congolese army.

Rubaya, a major coltan-producing hub that supplies about 15% of global output, is considered one of M23’s core financial bases.

Kinshasa recently placed the site on a shortlist of strategic mining assets being offered to the U.S. under a minerals cooperation framework, adding to its significance amid the fighting.

Local civil society groups reported heavy clashes around Rubaya from Sunday onwards, prompting hundreds of families to flee as front lines shifted.

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Ngoma’s killing comes amid Qatar-mediated efforts to secure a ceasefire. Kinshasa and M23 have signed agreements in Doha to establish a joint monitoring and verification mechanism, with Qatar, the U.S. and the African Union acting as observers.

Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 for his role as the group’s spokesperson.

The Congolese presidency declined to comment and the army did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

M23, which the United Nations says receives support from Rwanda, controls extensive territory in North and South Kivu following a rapid offensive last year in which it captured the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu.

The rebels briefly seized Uvira in December before Congolese forces recaptured the city last month. DR Congo reopened its border crossing with Burundi in Uvira on Monday.

The U.N. peacekeeping mission has deployed a joint exploratory assessment team to Uvira this week to help establish the Doha monitoring mechanism and assess the local security situation.

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