Xavier Radio Ug News 24 7
Drone strikes hit the eastern Congolese city of Goma early on Wednesday, killing at least three people, the first such attack in the city since AFC/M23 rebels seized it in a lightning offensive last year, the group said.
The AFC/M23 blamed the attack on the Congolese army, saying in a post on X that Kinshasa had launched drones against a densely populated urban area in the lakeside city.
A senior official for Unicef told Reuters that one of the UN agency’s employees, a French national, was killed.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Hadja Lahbib, European Commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, both condemned the attack in posts on X, calling for respect for international humanitarian law and saying aid workers must never be targeted.
A spokesperson for Congo’s army declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Congo’s government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A Reuters witness in Goma reported hearing two loud explosions at around 0400 (0200 GMT) local time. The blasts shook windows and doors and were followed by the sound of ambulance sirens.
The strikes come after weeks of intensifying drone operations on both sides of the conflict.
AFC/M23 military spokesperson Willy Ngoma was killed in a drone attack by the Congolese army near the strategic mining town of Rubaya, some 60km from Goma, on February 24.
The rebels have also claimed a series of drone attacks on the airport serving the northeastern city of Kisangani in recent weeks.
Fighting has continued in eastern Congo on several fronts, despite mediation efforts by parties including Qatar and the United States.
www.sabcnews.com, https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/drones-hit-east-congos-biggest-city-killing-french-aid-worker-un/
