UNICEF worker killed in DR Congo (VIDEO)
A French national working for the UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Karine Buisset, was killed in a drone strike in the city of Goma on Wednesday, the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) confirmed the same day.
Officials expressed condolences in connection with the death of at least three people, including Buisset.
The government “extends its sincere condolences to her family, loved ones, the Government of the French Republic, and the entire humanitarian community,” the Ministry of Communication and Media of the DR Congo said in a communiqué.
The city of Goma has been under the control of the M23 rebel group since early 2025, when the movement seized the regional capital amid a broader offensive in North Kivu province. In its statement on the drone strikes, M23 said the attack was carried out by the Congolese Army, accusing government forces of targeting densely populated areas of the rebel-held city, a claim Kinshasa has denied.
The explosions, which occurred at dawn, also caused “significant material damage,” according to the official statement. The authorities said the circumstances and origin of the blasts, particularly in areas occupied by armed groups, are under investigation.
Kinshasa stressed that ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers depends on the withdrawal of Rwandan troops and M23 fighters from Congolese territory, and on restoring full state authority across the country.
The African state continues to grapple with instability as the M23 rebel group maintains control over parts of the region, fueling ongoing clashes and humanitarian crises.
The DR Congo’s mineral-rich east has been plagued by decades of violence, with dozens of armed groups, including M23, fighting Congolese forces for power and control of resources such as gold and coltan. Clashes escalated in early 2025, killing thousands and forcing large-scale displacement, according to UN agencies. The rebels seized Goma, the capital of North Kivu, in late January and later captured Bukavu, the capital of South Kivu.
Ceasefire efforts have repeatedly faltered, including Qatar-facilitated talks in Doha. Congolese authorities have long accused Rwanda of supporting the militants, allegations backed by a UN panel of experts. Kigali has denied the claims. The accusations have strained Rwanda’s relations with Western partners, including Belgium. In March, Kigali severed diplomatic ties with Brussels, accusing it of harboring “neo-colonial delusions” and interfering in the conflict.
In December, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, ratified a US-brokered agreement committing Kigali to withdraw its forces from the border and end alleged support for M23, while Kinshasa pledged to curb militias hostile to Rwanda. US President Donald Trump has said the pact, which includes calls for a joint security mechanism, gives Washington rights to local mineral wealth. The fighting has continued despite Trump’s claims that he ended the decades-long conflict.
In February, the authorities in eastern DR Congo discovered mass graves with at least 172 bodies near the city of Uvira following the withdrawal of the M23 rebel group, which briefly occupied the area in late 2025. The discovery comes days after M23 military spokesman Willy Ngoma was killed in a drone strike reportedly carried out by the Congolese Army in neighboring North Kivu.
The UN says the conflict in eastern Congo has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing millions.
