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What happened
Early on 11 March, drone strikes hit Goma in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing at least three people including a French UN aid worker, according to multiple reports.
“- Published A French national working for the UN in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been killed, the French president has said, following reports of drone strikes on the eastern city of Goma”
The attacks struck residential areas of the city—then under the control of AFC/M23 rebels—and were described by some outlets as the first drone strikes on Goma since the rebellion seized the city in January 2025.
Images and local accounts reported explosions and heavy damage to a two‑storey house where humanitarian staff had been present.
Who is blamed
AFC/M23 officials immediately accused the Congolese army of carrying out the strikes, with rebel spokespeople publicly blaming Kinshasa and condemning the attack as an assault on civilians.
The Congolese army has denied involvement, and no independent party has claimed responsibility; reporting therefore presents competing attributions with insiders and officials pointing fingers amid an opaque, drone‑heavy battlefield.
Victims and reactions
Humanitarian and diplomatic reactions were immediate: UNICEF confirmed the death of one of its French staff, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly named the aid worker and urged respect for humanitarian law, and UN officials warned that attacks killing UN personnel can amount to war crimes.
“Deadly Drone Strikes in Congo: Aid Worker Among Fatalities Drone strikes in Goma, east Congo, killed at least three people including a French aid worker”
UNICEF described the loss as devastating and reiterated that humanitarian workers must be protected in conflict zones.
Wider conflict context
Analysts and reporters placed the strikes within a widening drone war and a fraught regional context: Goma has been under AFC/M23 control since January 2025,
there have been weeks of intensified unmanned aerial operations across eastern DRC, and previous drone strikes have already killed rebel figures—while international actors continue to dispute outside involvement.
Observers also note lingering allegations of Rwandan support for the rebels and the fragility of recent peace efforts brokered by external powers.
Damage and evidence
On the ground, photos and witness statements showed extensive structural damage consistent with an aerial strike near residences linked to humanitarian and rebel personnel;
“This is unfortunately not an isolated incident”
investigators and reporters highlighted the proximity of the hits to the home of a former president and to known rebel leaders’ residences, and an AFC/M23 official said one struck building had been rented by UNICEF staff.
The mixture of forensics, social media imagery and local testimony forms the basis for early assessments even as formal investigations proceed.
