The rebel coalition Alliance Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 Mars (AFC/M23) has claimed responsibility for a targeted military operation near Kisangani, reporting that it destroyed combat drones allegedly being prepared to attack civilians and rebel positions.
In an official communiqué dated March 2, 2026, the coalition accused the government in Kinshasa of conducting indiscriminate bombardments against populated areas using drones, describing it as a “strategy of terror deliberately targeting civilian populations.”
“Following the war imposed upon us by the Kinshasa regime, the Alliance Fleuve Congo / Mouvement du 23 Mars informs the Congolese people that the coalition forces continue to carry out indiscriminate bombardments of the densely populated areas, notably through the use of combat drones,” the statement read.
According to the communiqué, AFC/M23 forces deployed on the outskirts of Kisangani conducted a pre-emptive strike to neutralize the drones before they could be launched.
The coalition added that its operations would continue until the government under President Félix Tshisekedi ends what it called attacks on civilians in areas under rebel control.
“The operations to neutralise this threat will continue resolutely as long as Tshisekedi’s criminal coalition fails to bring a definitive end to the barbaric massacres it continues to inflict on civilian populations in the liberated territories,” the statement added.
The communiqué also referenced the death of its military spokesperson, Willy Ngoma, saying his killing would not go unanswered and holding the Kinshasa government fully responsible.
Meanwhile, Manzi Willy, Deputy Governor of South Kivu Province, defended the operation, stating that the strike represents a shift in the conflict toward confronting alleged sources of attacks on Congolese civilians.
“The pursuit of justice continues in Kisangani. By destroying the drones haunting the Congolese people, the AFC/M23 is taking the fight directly to the source,” he said.
He further warned that those responsible for attacks on civilians would eventually face consequences.
“Accountability is coming; the enemy has no place to run. One way attacking, seven ways fleeing,” Manzi added.
The latest development highlights the intensifying conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where clashes between government forces and rebel groups have escalated in recent months, raising fears of further instability and civilian suffering in the mineral-rich region.