AFC/M23 Claims Attack on Army Drone Command Center

Kisangani Airport February 4, 2026 - The AFC/M23 rebel group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the weekend attack on Bangboka Airport, located 17 kilometers from Kisangani, capital of Tshopo province. This airport, a key site within the national security apparatus and home to the Third Defense Zone headquarters, was targeted between Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1, 2026, using “kamikaze drones.” The rebel movement claims to have destroyed the drone command center at Kisangani airport, from which the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) launch operations in Masisi, Walikale, Rutshuru, Lubero, Kalehe, Mwenga, and Minembwe. Provincial authorities had previously accused the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 rebels of the attacks. Corneille Nangaa, political coordinator of AFC/M23, justified the operation, accusing the Kinshasa government of orchestrating a “surge of violence” using Sukhoi-23 aircraft, combat drones, and coalition forces. He warned: “The monopoly on technological terror is definitively broken. The air superiority upon which Tshisekedi's strategy was based is now obsolete. From now on, any air force deployed against the populations of the liberated zones will be neutralized at its source.” Nangaa added that the attack marks the end of Kisangani as a rear base for the FARDC, stating: “The doctrine of preemptive defense is activated: every threat will be struck at its point of origin… If Tshisekedi wants dialogue, we are open to it, but if he wants war, let him accept all the consequences.” While the AFC/M23 claims to have destroyed the drone command center, authorities confirmed that, thanks to the vigilance of the FARDC and security partners, eight drones were neutralized before reaching their target. No casualties or major material damage were reported. The Tshopo provincial government reiterated that “this attack demonstrates, once again, Rwanda’s intention to undermine the Washington peace agreement.” These attacks caused spontaneous displacement of residents near Bangboka Airport. This escalation coincides with the February 2, 2026 signing in Doha of the ICGLR-backed mandate between the DRC government and AFC/M23, following a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, organized by Qatar as part of ongoing mediation efforts to resolve the conflict in eastern DRC.