At least eleven deaths after explosions in the east Congo – Diepresse.com
At least eleven people were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo at a mass rally of M23 rebels in the city of Bukavu.
65 people were injured, rebel leader Corneille Nangaa said on Thursday. According to Nangaa, several grenades exploded. He referred to similarities with weapons of the Burundian army, which fights against the rebels in the Congo alongside the government forces.
The rebel chief blamed Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi for the attack, but did not provide any evidence. The government in Kinshasa accuses a « foreign army » that is illegally on Congolese soil.
At least 7,000 deaths in fighting in the Eastern Congo
According to eyewitnesses, the explosions according to Nangaa's first public appearance occurred, in which he had promised more security in front of thousands of participants for the city recently taken by M23. According to the rebel leader, other leading members of the group were also safe. According to their own statements, the M23 rebels, which Bukavu control since February 16, try to restore order in the region and have already started to reopen ports and schools.
The violence in the east of the country is primarily related to the advance of M23. According to government, at least 7,000 people have been killed in the fights since January. It has been the heaviest escalation of the conflict for more than a decade. The Congolese government, the United Nations and Western states accuse the neighboring state of Rwanda to support the rebels with weapons and troops. The government in Kigali rejects these allegations.
The roots of the conflict go back to the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. According to UN, more than seven million people in the region are dependent on humanitarian aid. The M23 rebels control large parts of the raw material-rich province of North-Kivu. (APA)
