Ngoma made the remarks in Goma following a ceremony organised by the AFC/M23 alliance to honour 22 civilians from Masisi Centre, in North Kivu Province, who were killed in a drone strike attributed to the DRC armed forces on January 2, 2026.
Speaking to supporters after the ceremony, Ngoma accused President Tshisekedi of responsibility for the attack and vowed accountability.
'He will definitely pay for this. It won't be long. He will go to court for these things. We will arrest him, and he will go to court,' Ngoma stated.
Meanwhile, AFC/M23 political coordinator Corneille Nangaa accused the Kinshasa government of continued violence against civilians, arguing that the state has failed to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants.
'The false political power that the Kinshasa government has given itself does not have the right to kill its citizens,' Nangaa said. 'No elections, no international recognition, and no nationalist rhetoric can justify the killing of civilians.'
Nangaa also sought to reassure residents in areas under AFC/M23 control, pledging that the coalition's forces would continue to ensure their security.
The AFC/M23 alliance, which controls significant territory in eastern DRC, has in recent weeks accused the Kinshasa administration of launching attacks on its positions and on civilian areas, despite the group's unilateral declaration of a ceasefire.
The group says its armed struggle is aimed at defending the rights of Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese communities, who continue to face marginalisation and persecution.
IGIHE
