Drone Attack in Goma Leaves Three Dead, M23 Rebels Allege Government Responsibility. Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo — March 11, 2026 At least three people were killed in a drone attack that struck a residential area in Goma, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a spokesperson for the M23 rebel group.
The incident occurred early on Wednesday morning, with the attack taking place around 4 am in a densely populated part of the city, which has been under M23 control since January 2025.
Lawrence Kanyuka, a spokesperson for the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, condemned the attack and pointed the finger at the government of Kinshasa. “A drone attack is currently being carried out against the city of Goma by the terrorist regime of Kinshasa, well beyond the front lines,” Kanyuka stated on social media.
He described the act as an “intolerable provocation targeting a densely populated urban area and deliberately endangering thousands of innocent civilians.”.
The government has not yet commented on the attack, and no party has claimed responsibility. Social media images show firefighters extinguishing a fire on the upper floor of a two-story house with a damaged roof. Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, has been a flashpoint for violence in the past.
Last January, M23 rebels clashed with government forces, resulting in the deaths of up to 2,000 people.
The Rwanda — backed M23 is one of over 100 armed groups fighting Congolese forces in the mineral-rich eastern DRC.
The group claims its objective is to protect the interests of the Congolese Tutsi and other minorities.
Despite a US — brokered peace agreement signed in December between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, fighting has continued in the region. Last week, the US imposed sanctions on the Rwandan army and four senior officials, accusing them of supporting M23.
This week’s drone attack marks a shift in the conflict’s dynamics, with both sides increasingly employing drone warfare.
Two weeks ago, an army drone attack in Rubaya, an important M23-controlled coltan mining town, resulted in the death of the group’s military spokesperson, Willy Ngoma, and several other leaders. Last week, M23 claimed responsibility for a drone attack targeting Kisangani airport in Tshopo province in the country’s east.
Further details about the incident are expected to emerge as investigations continue.
