Several people were killed and others wounded on Thursday when gunfire and explosions erupted at a rally led by rebel leader Corneille Nangaa in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu, residents said.
Videos from the scene showed people fleeing in panic, some bleeding and carrying bodies. Witnesses reported fatalities but there was no immediate confirmation of the toll.
Nangaa, speaking to AFP by phone, accused President Felix Tshisekedi of ordering the attack but did not provide evidence. There was no immediate response from the government.
“I am safe, and other senior members of our movement are unharmed,” said Nangaa, whose coalition has been fighting the Congolese army and advancing in the east since the start of the year.
M23 rebels, allied with Nangaa, have captured vast areas in eastern DR Congo, with Kinshasa, the United Nations, and Western nations accusing Rwanda of backing the insurgents—a charge Kigali denies. The escalation has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict.
Before the attack, Nangaa addressed thousands in Bukavu, where M23 has controlled the city since February 16. “We have come to bring security,” he declared, promising new security patrols across Bukavu’s districts.
The violence broke out at the end of the rally. “There was shooting in all directions,” a resident said. “We don’t know what happened—there are wounded, dead. It was chaos.”
Since taking control of parts of eastern DR Congo, M23 has sought to portray itself as a stabilizing force, reopening schools and ports in areas under its rule.
The group’s offensive marks the most significant escalation in the region in over a decade. The conflict traces back to the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and longstanding battles over DR Congo’s mineral wealth.
Rwanda has insisted its actions are defensive, claiming it faces a threat from Hutu militias allegedly allied with the Congolese army.