Willy Ngoma, the military spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, was killed in a drone strike by the Congolese army in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The attack occurred near Rubaya, a strategic coltan-mining hub, which produces around 15% of the world’s supply and is a key financial stronghold for the M23 rebels.
The killing comes amid Qatar-mediated ceasefire efforts, with Kinshasa and M23 having signed agreements to establish a joint ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
Ngoma had been under European Union sanctions since December 2022 for his role as M23 spokesperson.
The Congolese government recently added Rubaya to a shortlist of strategic mining assets being offered to the United States under a minerals cooperation framework.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo has deployed a team to support the ceasefire monitoring mechanism.
