The AFC/M23 coalition has indicated it will continue targeting Bangoka International Airport in Kisangani and vowed to avenge the death of its former military spokesperson, Lt Col Willy Ngoma.
AFC/M23 confirmed it carried out a drone strike on the airport on March 1, 2026, stating that the operation aimed to destroy drones allegedly being prepared for attacks on its positions and civilian-populated areas.
The group said it had previously launched a similar strike on February 1, targeting what it described as a section of the airport used by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) to plan and execute drone operations.
Bertrand Bisimwa, Deputy Coordinator of AFC/M23 in charge of political affairs, diplomacy, and administration, said that if mediators fail to compel Kinshasa to halt military operations, the movement considers it its responsibility to protect civilians.
“If peace mediators are unable to require Kinshasa to honor its commitments or stop its violent actions against innocent civilians, the responsibility left to us is to fulfill our duty to protect the population,” Bisimwa said.
Lt Col Willy Ngoma was killed in the early hours of February 24 during a drone strike near Rubaya center in Masisi Territory. AFC/M23 alleges the attack was carried out by a coalition of Congolese government forces.
Lawrence Kanyuka, the political spokesperson of AFC/M23, said the deaths of their fighters and civilians would not go unanswered.
“The blood of our Congolese compatriots and our soldiers, including our military spokesperson Lt Col Willy Ngoma, will neither be forgotten nor ignored. The Kinshasa regime and its coalition will be held accountable,” Kanyuka said.
Despite a ceasefire agreement reached during talks in Qatar between the DRC government and AFC/M23, clashes have continued in North and South Kivu provinces, fueling renewed tensions in eastern Congo.