The Fall of Willy Ngoma Signals FARDC Drone Power

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) eastern provinces have been the theatre of a complex conflict that has destabilised a mineral‑rich region for over two decades. Throughout 2024–26, the Rwandan‑backed March 23 Movement (M23) insurgency captured swathes of territory, including the Rubaya coltan mines, one of the world’s most important sources of tantalum. Yet a recent drone strike, which allegedly killed Willy Ngoma, M23’s high‑profile military spokesperson, suggests that battlefield momentum may be shifting. This article analyses how a combination of intelligence‑driven targeting, drone warfare, and economic pressure on Rubaya is eroding the rebel movement’s strategic depth and exposing the fragility of its command structure.

The Target Was Not Random

Intelligence penetration and precision

According to Associated Press reports, a predawn Congolese army drone strike near Rubaya on 24 February 2026 killed Willy Ngoma, the public face of M23. UN and rights‑group sources confirmed his death. The strike followed several days of sustained drone attacks by the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC), suggesting careful surveillance and target identification. Willy Ngoma was not merely a spokesperson; he held the rank of lieutenant‑colonel and crafted the rebels’ narrative. The European Union had sanctioned him in December 2022 and the U.S. in December 2023 for acting on behalf of M23.

The use of a precision strike against such a prominent figure demonstrates improved intelligence penetration. Drone warfare demands reliable real‑time information, and targeting a spokesperson implies that Congolese intelligence services, perhaps with allied assistance, have infiltrated M23’s communications, underscoring how FARDC’s capabilities have matured.

Drone capacity and external support

The FARDC’s rapid expansion of drone operations has been widely noted. Reuters reported in April 2025 that when M23 promised to withdraw from Walikale, it demanded Kinshasa withdraw its attack drones, a tacit admission that government drones were striking rebel positions. A Reuters investigation in September 2025 recorded M23 complaints of “near daily drone and artillery attacks” in the South Kivu highlands. The International Contact Group later warned that the growing use of attack and even suicide drones represented a major escalation and posed a threat to civilians. By early 2026, Congolese forces had relocated drones and fighter jets to Kisangani after M23 captured Goma; Reuters noted that the city became the main forward base for operations in eastern provinces. External contractors have bolstered this capacity: an exclusive Reuters report revealed that private security firms linked to Erik Prince operated drones that helped the Congolese army recapture Uvira in South Kivu.

Rubaya: The Economic Nerve of the Conflict

Rubaya sits on one of Africa’s richest coltan (tantalum ore) deposits. A 2025 Reuters investigation, drawing on a UN Group of Experts report, estimated that Rubaya produces about 15 % of the world’s coltan supply. Controlling Rubaya allows M23 and its allies to dominate a global supply chain critical for electronic devices. The UN experts documented how M23 established a parallel administration overseeing mining, transport, and taxation in Rubaya. Traders were compelled to pay a 15 % tax on the value of coltan purchases; the rebels collected approximately US$800 000 per month from the mine. The 2024 mid‑term report noted that the group taxed $7 per kilogram of coltan and controlled at least 120 tons of output each month. These revenues financed arms and logistics, strengthening the movement’s durability.

The UN final report (S/2025/446) highlighted systematic smuggling to Rwanda. Coltan from Rubaya was mixed with Rwandan production and exported, contaminating global supply chains. M23-appointed “governor” Erasto Bahati chose traders, organised convoys, and oversaw smuggling across the border. In one week in late 2024, 195 tons of minerals were trucked to Rwanda using vehicles carrying 20 and 5 tons each. The U.S. Treasury accused Kabarebe and other Rwandan officials of coordinating the export of extracted minerals from the DRC and enabling their sale abroad. A 2026 Treasury announcement, designating M23 leader Bertrand Bisimwa, reiterated that the group re‑emerged in late 2021 with help from the Rwandan Defence Force and captured Rubaya in May 2024