A tragic incident occurred during a mass rally in Bukavu, organized by the M23 group, leading to several fatalities and numerous injuries. Footage shared on social media shows chaos as people fled the scene following two explosions. Corneille Nangaa, a rebel leader, accused Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi of orchestrating the attack without evidence. The M23 group's recent takeover of mineral-rich cities underscores a significant escalation in a conflict driven by historical tensions and competition for resources, further complicated by alleged Rwandan support for the rebels, which has seen loss of life among Rwandan troops as well.
Several people have been killed and dozens more injured after blasts at a mass rally held by the M23 group in Bukavu, the city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo captured by the rebels earlier this month.
Nangaa told Reuters by phone that the Congolese president, Felix Tshisekedi, had ordered the attack, without providing evidence. There was no immediate comment from the government.
The M23 advance is the gravest escalation in more than a decade of the long-running conflict in eastern DRC, rooted in the spillover of Rwanda's 1994 genocide and the struggle for control of Congo's vast minerals resources.
UN experts say Kigali is supporting the rebel effort with thousands of its own troops. Earlier this month the Guardian reported that hundreds of Rwandan troops had died in DRC in recent offensives.
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