The leader of AFC/M23, Corneille Nangaa, has claimed responsibility for a drone operation targeting Kisangani airport, saying it served as a warning to Kinshasa after eight explosive drones were shot down. The airport lies about 17 km from Kisangani and far from the Kivu front lines where the rebels have captured major cities. The rebels say the facility was being used as a hub for strikes on rebel-held areas and have threatened to target aircraft "at their source." A day earlier, Congo and AFC/M23 agreed in Doha to the deployment of the first U.N. ceasefire monitoring team.
DRC Rebel Leader Says M23 Launched Drone Strike On Kisangani Airport — A Warning To Kinshasa
Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve Congo AFC/M23, arrives at Unity Stadium with rebel leaders for a funeral ceremony for victims who died in a drone strike in Masisi territory, in Goma, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of Congo, January 8, 2026. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi
Feb 3 (Reuters) - The leader of the AFC/M23 rebel movement in the Democratic Republic of Congo has claimed responsibility for a drone operation against the airport serving the strategic northeastern city of Kisangani, calling the action a warning to the central government.
Provincial authorities said eight explosive-laden drones were launched at the airport over the weekend but were intercepted and shot down before reaching their intended target. The airport sits roughly 17 km (10 miles) from central Kisangani, and is hundreds of kilometres from the main front lines in North and South Kivu where AFC/M23 has seized large swathes of territory since 2022, including the key cities of Goma and Bukavu in a rapid offensive last year.
In a statement posted on X late on Tuesday, rebel leader Corneille Nangaa said the Kisangani operation demonstrated that the "air superiority" once held by Congo's armed forces had been broken and warned that any aircraft used against rebel-held areas would now be targeted "at their source."
"The use of Kisangani as a platform for projecting terror against our territories is now prohibited. The sanctuary of this rear base is over," Nangaa said.
A government spokesperson and a military representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a separate post on X early Wednesday, AFC/M23 described Kisangani airport as the "primary hub" for strikes on rebel positions and civilians in areas under their control.
The group reiterated its stated commitment to a peaceful resolution of the conflict in eastern Congo and urged Kinshasa to respect a ceasefire. At the same time, another senior AFC/M23 figure, Bertrand Bisimwa, warned on X that if Congolese military aircraft continued to operate over what rebels call "liberated territory," those planes would be "destroyed from their respective bases."
Progress On Ceasefire Monitoring
Nangaa's comments came a day after officials from Congo and AFC/M23 met in Doha under Qatari mediation and agreed to deploy the first U.N. team mandated to monitor a ceasefire. The deployment is intended to provide independent oversight as both sides move toward implementing the ceasefire arrangements agreed in talks.
The rebel statement also accused Congo's army and allied militias of a surge of attacks in the highlands of South Kivu since Jan. 22, alleging the use of Sukhoi jets and combat drones against civilians in Minembwe and nearby areas. These claims have not been independently verified in this report.
(Reporting by Clement Bonnerot and the Congo newsroom; Writing by Ayen Deng Bior, Robbie Corey-Boulet, Michael Perry and Andrew Heavens)
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