The sound of aircraft was heard on the evening of Saturday, August 16, over Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, under the administration of the M23-AFC rebel movement.
This overflight has raised many questions, as the city's international airport has remained officially closed since the movement entered the city.
Around 8:52 p.m. local time, a military aircraft was spotted in the skies over Goma, according to several witnesses on the scene.
This information was confirmed by the air tracking app FlightRadar24, which indicates that it appears to be an Australian Army C-130J Super Hercules military aircraft, arriving from Accra, Ghana.
"This is indeed an Australian military aircraft coming from Accra that has just crossed the skies over Goma," said a source close to the M23-AFC, speaking on condition of anonymity.
According to the data consulted, the aircraft was flying over the city at high altitude, with no landing signal. The engine noise, unusual since the airport closure, was clearly heard in several neighborhoods, rekindling speculation about a possible logistics or reconnaissance operation.
Another local security source who requested anonymity also confirmed the aircraft's passage.
"This type of overflight is extremely rare, especially given the current tense situation in Goma. The airport closure does not technically prevent overflights, but it remains unusual," she said.
Since taking control of the city in early 2025, the M23-AFC has banned all civil and military air traffic without express authorization. No official response has yet been issued by the M23-AFC authorities following this incident.
As a reminder, the airspace over the city of Goma, the capital of North Kivu, was suddenly overflown during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, July 2, by an unidentified aircraft.
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