At least 11 people were killed and 65 injured in two bomb explosions at an M23 rebel rally in Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Thursday. The blasts occurred at Independence Square shortly after Corneille Nangaa, coordinator of the Alliance Fleuve rebel alliance, addressed the gathering.
“The attack in Bukavu killed 11 people, including a woman,” Nangaa told reporters, adding that 65 people were injured, with six in critical condition. He confirmed that he and other leaders escaped unharmed.
Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi condemned the attack as a “heinous terrorist act,” blaming a “foreign army illegally present on Congolese soil,” a clear reference to the Rwandan army. However, the M23 group blamed the explosions on government forces, expressing condolences to the population of Bukavu.
The M23 has been expanding its control in eastern Congo, seizing key cities, and tensions remain high between DR Congo and Rwanda, with Kinshasa accusing Kigali of supporting the rebels. Rwanda has consistently denied these allegations.
The conflict in eastern Congo has resulted in significant casualties, with Congo’s Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka reporting over 7,000 deaths this year alone.