Drone Strike in Goma Kills French UNICEF Worker

A drone strike early Wednesday targeted a residential area in Goma, the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, killing at least one person, including a French aid worker with the United Nations Children's Fund, according to local residents, rebel officials and United Nations representatives.

The attack occurred around 4 a.m. local time in a neighborhood housing prominent political and business figures, striking a private residence about 50 meters from the home of former President Joseph Kabila. A spokesperson for the M23 rebel group, which has controlled the city since seizing it in January 2025, reported that one drone hit the building while another fell into nearby Lake Kivu. Lawrence Kanyuka, the M23 spokesperson, said the strikes killed three people and accused the Congolese government of launching the assault as an act of aggression against civilians. Residents, however, described seeing only one body at the scene, and the death toll could not be independently verified.

The confirmed victim was Karine Buisset, a French national employed by UNICEF, who was in the residence at the time of the explosion. Video footage from the area showed significant...