M23 rebel group accuses DRC government of targeting civilians after drone strike

In Goma, eastern DR Congo, a drone strike around 4 a.m. on Wednesday caused panic among residents.

The armed group AFC-M23, which controls the city, claims the attack targeted a residence occupied by UN personnel, leaving several people dead, as it accuses the Kinshasa government of orchestrating the attack.

"This incident is exactly what we say every day. We have repeatedly denounced that Tshisekedi and his regime attack civilians beyond the front lines. They have violated the ceasefire, trampled on it, and imposed a war targeting civilians. Today, we see it clearly. Here, civilians were sleeping at home at 4 a.m., and a bomb was dropped," said Lawrence Kanyuka, the AFC-M23 spokesperson.

On the ground, the damage is extensive. The targeted residence was largely destroyed by the explosion, followed by a fire that was contained by firefighters, while UN peacekeepers were deployed to secure the neighborhood. Residents, awakened in the middle of the night by the blast, recount scenes of fear.

"We were very scared. Some of us hid in the house, others under the beds. That’s how it happened," a local resident said.

"It was around 4:10 a.m. when I heard the first bomb fall. I didn’t know where it had hit. The second one fell, and I lost consciousness right there," another resident said.

The exact circumstances of the strike remain unclear. Kinshasa authorities have not yet officially responded to these accusations.