Willy Mishiki Buhini, the national president of the National Coalition of Volunteers for the Defense of the Homeland–Wazalendo (VDP Wazalendo), has been dismissed following claims that the coalition was responsible for a drone strike in Goma City that killed four civilians, including a French UNICEF staff member.
The victim, Carine Buisset, was killed in the early hours of Wednesday, March 11, 2026, when two drones struck the Himbi area near Lake Kivu, a zone known to host several leaders of the March 23 Movement / Alliance Fleuve Congo (M23/AFC), including Bertrand Bisimwa, Corneille Nangaa Yobeluo, and former President Joseph Kabila.
During the strike, an apartment rented by Christine Guinot, who was absent at the time, was hit, killing Buisset and two others. Another apartment rented by a Belgian national, Pascal, manager of a local Toyota dealership, was also destroyed, located just meters from Kabila’s family residence. Following the incident, M23/AFC leaders Lawrence Kanyuka and Bisimwa accused FARDC and its coalition partners of carrying out the strike.
The Congolese government denied the allegations. International figures, including Emmanuel Macron and Bruno Lemarquis, condemned the attack, emphasizing the protection of humanitarian personnel.
Shortly after, Mishiki, also a national deputy and traditional chief in Walikale Territory, held a press conference claiming Wazalendo fighters conducted the strikes. In response, the coalition issued a statement on March 12, 2026, signed by Prof. Dr. Emmanuel Dady Saleh, dismissing Mishiki from his position.
The statement cited Mishiki’s unauthorized, inflammatory remarks that violated the values of the coalition and worsened the situation. It confirmed that Jacques Katulanya will assume Mishiki’s responsibilities.
The statement further emphasized that Mishiki acted independently, making false and poorly considered claims during a TV5 Monde interview on March 11, 2026. Mishiki had not responded to his dismissal as of publication. Since the killing of Buisset, drone strikes across the frontlines have largely subsided, though tensions remain high.
FARDC and allied forces recently intensified drone use against M23/AFC, including a February 2026 strike in Rubaya that reportedly killed the rebels’ military spokesperson, Willy Ngoma.
Since its resurgence in 2022, M23/AFC, under Bisimwa and General Sultan Makenga, has repeatedly clashed with the DRC government over ceasefire violations.
The government has accused Rwanda of backing M23, claims denied by Kigali and the rebels. M23 maintains its stated goal is to combat corruption, xenophobia, and discrimination in the DRC, and its rapid 2025 offensive in eastern Congo raised fears of a wider regional conflict.