Drones Strike Goma, Killing Aid Worker and Heightening East Congo Tension

A sudden drone attack on the city of Goma in eastern Congo caused three deaths, including a French aid worker. The incident marks the first drone strike in Goma since rebels from the AFC/M23 group took control last year. Rebel fighters blamed the Congolese army for launching the drones, claiming they targeted a crowded area by Lake Kivu. UNICEF confirmed that one of its staff, a French national, was among the victims. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib publicly denounced the attack, urging respect for humanitarian law.The Congolese army declined to comment, and government officials did not respond immediately. Witnesses in Goma heard two loud explosions early in the morning, followed by ambulance sirens. A rebel official noted that a drone hit a house rented by UNICEF staff near a former president’s residence, while another drone struck a rebel coordinator’s home but fell into the lake. These events come after weeks of escalating drone use by both sides, including attacks on a rebel commander and on an airport in Kisangani. Fighting continues across eastern Congo despite mediation efforts by Qatar and the U. S.