Drone Strike in Goma Kills Aid Worker, Escalates Congo Conflict

A drone strike hit the eastern Congolese city of Goma early Wednesday, killing at least three people, including a French humanitarian worker employed by UNICEF, according to rebel officials and the United Nations. The attack marks a significant escalation in the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The strike occurred at around 4 a.m., when two explosions were heard across the city. Windows and doors shook as residents reported the blasts, followed by ambulance sirens moving through the affected neighborhood.

According to the AFC/M23 rebel movement, which controls Goma, the drones were launched by the Congolese army and struck a residential area in the lakeside city. A senior official from the group said one of the drones hit a house rented by UNICEF personnel.

A UNICEF official confirmed that one of the victims was a French national working for the agency, making the incident one of the most serious attacks involving an international humanitarian worker in the city since the rebels seized Goma last year.

The rebels also said a second drone targeted the residence of AFC/M23 political coordinator Corneille Nangaa, but the device fell into Lake Kivu without causing casualties.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack and called for strict respect for international humanitarian law. European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib also urged that aid workers must never be targeted.

The Congolese army declined to comment, while the government had not immediately responded to requests for clarification on the allegations.

The strikes come amid an expanding use of drones in the eastern Congo conflict. In February, AFC/M23 military spokesperson Willy Ngoma was killed in a separate drone attack near the strategic mining town of Rubaya, roughly 60 kilometers northwest of Goma.

Rebel officials have also reported recent drone incidents targeting infrastructure around Kisangani airport, suggesting the aerial dimension of the conflict is intensifying.

Despite diplomatic mediation efforts led by countries including Qatar and the United States, fighting continues on multiple fronts in eastern Congo, raising concerns about the safety of civilians and humanitarian personnel operating in the region.