GOMA, DR Congo, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Reports of drone strikes and renewed offensives in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are raising fears of renewed escalation, just days after a ceasefire proposed by Angola sought to stabilize the volatile region.
Rebels from the Congo River Alliance-March 23 Movement (AFC/M23) and the DRC's armed forces (FARDC) have traded accusations in recent days of launching attacks in North Kivu and South Kivu provinces.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, AFC/M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka issued a series of alerts alleging ongoing military operations by the FARDC in multiple locations. The army, meanwhile, accused the rebels last week of attacking its positions and violating the Angolan-brokered ceasefire, which was scheduled to take effect on Feb. 18.
The reported clashes come as a ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism has yet to be deployed, heightening concerns that the truce could falter prematurely amid persistent mistrust between the parties.
In South Kivu, drone strikes and ground assaults have reportedly targeted rebel-held positions around the town of Minembwe on the Fizi plateau, exacerbating instability in an area long plagued by conflict and communal tensions. Residents said the fighting has triggered fresh displacement and intensified fears of wider violence.
Tensions escalated further following reports that a drone strike attributed by local sources to the Congolese army may have killed Willy Ngoma, a political spokesperson and senior figure within the rebel group. The strike reportedly occurred overnight from Monday to Tuesday in Rubaya, a mining town about 50 km from Goma, the capital of North Kivu, which has been under rebel control for nearly a year.
The AFC/M23 has not officially confirmed Ngoma's death. Sources close to the movement told Xinhua that he had died but provided no additional details, and there has been no independent verification.
Bertrand Bisimwa, a senior AFC/M23 official, posted a brief message on the social media platform X referring to "the Revolution" and "communion with our heroes in silence," without explicitly naming Ngoma.
In Kinshasa, the government has not issued an official statement on the reported operations.
Around Goma and other parts of North Kivu, the relative silence of rebel leaders has fueled anxiety among residents amid reports of drone strikes and targeted attacks. Several diplomats based in the region told Xinhua that there are growing fears the situation could spiral into a broader resumption of hostilities.
Angola, which has mediated the DRC crisis since 2022, proposed on Feb. 11 that a ceasefire between Kinshasa and the M23 take effect on Feb. 18.
DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said on Feb. 13 that he had accepted the proposal "in a spirit of responsibility and de-escalation." However, the army later accused the M23 of attacking its positions and villages, while the M23 claimed it had not been formally informed of the arrangement.
Analysts and diplomats warn that the situation could deteriorate rapidly if the ceasefire does not evolve into a sustained negotiation process and if military operations continue without coordination or oversight. ■