Drone strikes and clashes in eastern Congo threaten region's peace efforts

GOMA, Congo -- Congo’s government and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels on Friday accused each other of violating terms of a ceasefire deal aimed at ending decadeslong fighting and bringing a permanent peace in the conflict-battered region.

Recent drone strikes and clashes have cast doubt over the peace deal and a separate minerals deal that Congo signed with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to enable the U.S. access Congo’s rich minerals.

Trump helped negotiate a peace deal between Congo and neighboring Rwanda, seen as an indirect but key player in the conflict, while Qatar and other partners have championed similar efforts involving direct negotiations between the government and the M23.

But neither track has halted the fighting.

On Tuesday, a drone strike that the M23 blames on Congolese forces killed a French United Nations staffer in the key city of Goma, less than a month after a similar strike killed the rebel group's spokesperson and injured several others.

Residents continue to report clashes between the M23 and Congo's forces sometimes joined by the local Wazalendo militia group, with thousands displaced in recent weeks.

M23 spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka told The Associated Press that the group is still committed to peace efforts if Congo's army “refrains from attacking our positions and assassinating our leaders, soldiers, and innocent civilians.”

Congolese government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said the government is investigating this week's strike that killed a French aid worker, but did not elaborate on other drone strikes.

He blamed the M23 for violating the ceasefire, but said that the government side would like to “reaffirm our commitment to respecting the ceasefire" and other agreements.

The AP could not independently verify events in affected localities in the region. The attacks have, however, complicated peace efforts in the region where mass graves were recently found.

The conflict has precipitated one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises, with at least 7 million people displaced in eastern Congo.

Despite the peace talks, at least 60 drone strikes have been attributed to the Congolese military in 2026 and less than 5% of drone strikes in the region have been attributed to the rebels in the last year, according to a report by the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), which gathers data on conflict around the world.

“You still have people losing their lives to this crisis, and you still have displacement,” said Christian Rumu, a senior campaigner with Amnesty International, adding that Congolese “do not feel any positive change” from the peace deals.

“Heavy artillery has been used on densely populated areas throughout the conflict since 2021, and we see that in the latest attack in Goma,” Rumu said.

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AP writer Saleh Mwanamilongo contributed to this report. Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria.