International
11 Killed, Many Injured as Explosions Rock DR Congo
- Explosions at M23 rally in Bukavu kill 11, injure 65.
- Panic erupts as twin blasts and gunfire rock the city.
- M23’s advance heightens fears of regional conflict.
A deadly series of explosions struck Bukavu, a key city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), during a rally for M23 rebels and their supporters, leaving 11 dead and 65 wounded.
Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance, which includes M23, confirmed the casualties at a press conference shortly after the attack on Thursday.
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Eyewitnesses and video footage showed people fleeing in panic, some bleeding and carrying the injured, after two consecutive blasts rocked the rally. According to AFP, the first explosion caused attendees to scatter, followed by a second blast. Residents also reported hearing gunfire.
Nangaa, who was attending the rally, stated that neither he nor other senior rebel commanders were injured. He later claimed the grenades used matched those employed by Burundi’s army—a statement that could not be independently verified.
Bukavu is among the two key cities seized in recent weeks by M23, a rebel group that UN experts say is backed by Rwanda. The group has pushed into the eastern DRC, killing about 7,000 people while reopening ports and schools in an attempt to establish governance.
The advance has sparked fears of a broader regional conflict, potentially drawing in Rwanda and other neighboring countries.
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The escalation is the most severe in over a decade in the region’s long-running conflict, which has its roots in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control over the DRC’s vast mineral wealth.
Meanwhile, Rwanda has defended its involvement, claiming it is protecting itself from Hutu militias operating in the DRC alongside the Congolese military.
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