DRC : a drone strike on a residential area of ​​Goma kills a UNICEF aid worker

SOS Médias Burundi

Goma, March 11, 2026 — The city of Goma, capital of North Kivu province in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, awoke in shock Wednesday morning after a drone attack targeted a residential area around 4:00 a.m. The provisional death toll includes several civilian casualties, including a French aid worker employed by the UNICEF.

A strike in the heart of a residential area

According to initial reports gathered on the ground, two armed drones were used in the attack. The first drone reportedly crashed into the waters of Lake Kivu, without causing major damage.

The second drone, however, struck a residential complex located in an inhabited area, causing significant material damage and sowing panic among the residents.

Among the buildings hit was the residence of a Belgian national known locally as a Toyota representative in Goma. This house is located just a few meters from that of the former First Lady of the DRC, Olive Lembe Kabila, fueling questions about the true target of the airstrike.

A UNICEF aid worker among the victims

The airstrike claimed the life of Christine Guinot, a French aid worker involved in child protection and assistance programs with the UNICEF.

Her death sparked deep sorrow within the humanitarian community in the region. For several years, international agencies and NGOs have been heavily mobilized in Goma and throughout North Kivu to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by the armed conflict, mass displacement of populations, and natural disasters.

The residential complex targeted by the drone strike also reportedly hosts agents working for the European Union and the United Nations, illustrating the significant presence of international actors in this strategic area of ​​the city.

A city under tension

The attack sent shockwaves through Goma, a city already marked by an extremely fragile security situation in eastern DRC. Residents of the targeted neighborhood reported being awakened by a loud explosion, followed by scenes of panic. Several families reportedly fled their homes in haste for fear of further strikes.

Material damage was reported in neighboring homes, including broken windows, damaged walls, and several vehicles hit by shrapnel.

An explosive military context

For now, the exact circumstances of this attack remain unclear. However, it comes amid heightened military tensions in eastern DRC.

The city of Goma, the largest urban center in eastern Congo and the capital of North Kivu province, has been controlled by the M23 rebels since January 27, 2025. It has since served as the headquarters for leaders of the M23 and the Congo River Alliance (AFC).

On February 24, drone strikes attributed to the FARDC, the Congolese loyalist army, killed Colonel Willy Ngoma, the high-profile spokesperson for the M23, in the Rubaya area of ​​North Kivu.

Reactivated in 2021, the M23, composed primarily of Congolese Tutsis, is now part of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), led by Corneille Nangaa, former president of the Congolese Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI).

The AFC/M23 now controls several strategic areas in North and South Kivu, including Goma and Bukavu, the provincial capitals, as well as the Rubaya mining site, one of the world’s largest coltan deposits. This strategic mineral provides a significant portion of the world’s tantalum, a metal essential to the electronics industry and new technologies.

The AFC/M23 advocates for the establishment of a federal state in the DRC.

Diplomacy in failure

Kinshasa accuses Kigali of supporting the M23, while Rwanda denounces the alleged support of the DRC and Burundi for the FDLR. Despite Rwandan denials, a report by the UN Group of Experts suggests the presence of 5,000 to 7,000 Rwandan soldiers alongside AFC/M23 fighters.

On the ground, clashes continue despite the Washington Agreement signed on December 4, 2025, between the DRC and Rwanda under the US mediation, illustrating the difficulties of diplomatic initiatives aimed at stabilizing the region.

Burundi participated in this agreement as an observer, represented by President Évariste Ndayishimiye. According to an internal report from the Congolese Ministry of the Interior and Security, consulted by SOS Médias Burundi in December 2025, Burundi deployed more than 29,000 soldiers on the Congolese soil between August 2022 and December 2025.

These soldiers are fighting alongside the FARDC and the Wazalendo militias, supported by Kinshasa, against the M23.

The same document indicates that approximately 10,000 Burundian soldiers remain deployed in eastern DRC. In some areas, this coalition also includes fighters from the FDLR, a Rwandan Hutu armed group, some of whose members are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.

A war that is now striking civilians

The death of an international aid worker in a residential area of ​​Goma is a stark reminder that, in eastern DRC, the line between the military front and civilian areas is increasingly blurred. As regional rivalries and strategic interests continue to fuel the conflict, it is once again civilians and aid workers who are paying the heaviest price in this war.