At least 11 people were killed and 65 wounded when explosions rocked Bukavu, a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), during a rally organized by the M23 rebel group and their supporters.
The DRC presidency attributed the attack to a “foreign army illegally present on Congolese soil”, implying Rwandan involvement in supporting the rebels. Meanwhile, Corneille Nangaa, leader of the Congo River Alliance — which includes M23 — claimed the explosions were caused by grenades similar to those used by Burundi’s army in the DRC, though this claim remains unverified.
The first explosion triggered panic, with attendees fleeing the scene, only for a second blast to detonate moments later, according to the AFP news agency. Local residents reported hearing gunfire alongside the blasts.
Videos from the scene showed people running through the streets, some bleeding and carrying lifeless bodies. Witnesses confirmed seeing fatalities. The rally marked Nangaa’s first public appearance since M23 fighters seized Bukavu, the region’s second-largest city, nearly two weeks ago.
Despite the chaos, Nangaa told Reuters that he and other senior rebel leaders were unharmed.
Bukavu is one of two key cities recently seized by M23 fighters, whose rapid advance has claimed approximately 7,000 lives and raised serious concerns about human rights abuses, including sexual violence against children and the recruitment of child soldiers.
The United Nations has accused Rwanda of backing M23, while Rwanda maintains that its actions are in response to threats from a Hutu militia allegedly fighting alongside the Congolese military.
The conflict, which has roots in the aftermath of Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the struggle for control over the DRC’s vast mineral resources, has escalated into the most severe flare-up in over a decade.
The rebel group has attempted to present itself as a stabilizing force by reopening schools and ports in territories under its control, but their military campaign has heightened fears of a regional war that could draw in neighboring countries.
