A French national and UN Children's and Cultural Education Fund (Unicef) employee, Karine Buisset, was killed early Wednesday morning when a drone strike hit a residential area in central Goma, the capital of North Kivu.
The attack destroyed a two-storey home in a neighborhood frequently occupied by expatriates and aid workers.
The strike, which occurred around 4am local time, targeted a private residence just metres from the family home of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila.
It remains unclear if Kabila was in Goma at the time of the incident
The drone also hit the residence of a Belgian national managing a local Toyota dealership in Goma, who has only been identified as Pascal.
The M23 rebel group blamed the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC), allegedly operating with foreign mercenaries, for the attack.
“This morning, the city of Goma was struck by a drone-led terrorist attack perpetrated by the Tshisekedi Tshilombo regime, targeting the United Nations and the European Union,” said Lawrence Kanyuka, a spokesperson for the group.
M23 claimed the strike killed three people, though local residents reported seeing one body.
Government officials have denied responsibility, suggesting the rebels orchestrated a false flag attack to blame the FARDC.
Goma has been under M23 control and parallel administration since January 2025, and government forces, supported by the Wazalendo militia, have reportedly intensified drone operations in the region in attempts to reclaim the city.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences on X, stating: “A French humanitarian from UNICEF was killed in Goma. To her family, to her loved ones, to her colleagues, I convey the support and emotion of the Nation. I call for respect for humanitarian law and for the personnel who are on the ground and who are committed to saving lives.”
Since the escalation of conflict in eastern DRC, drone strikes have increasingly been used by the government, often involving foreign mercenaries.
Previous attacks have targeted both civilians and rebel officials, further endangering humanitarian personnel and densely populated urban areas.
The ongoing clashes between FARDC and the Rwanda-backed M23 have sparked a severe humanitarian crisis, displacing at least seven million people.
Despite a truce brokered by the United States and Qatar, fighting has persisted across North and South Kivu, underscoring the continued risks faced by civilians and international staff in the region.
Karine Buisset’s death highlights the lethal dangers confronting aid workers in eastern DRC, where humanitarian operations continue amid an increasingly volatile conflict landscape.