Several residents lost their lives, and others sustained injuries after explosives hit a meeting organized by the rebel alliance.
The gathering, led by the rebel alliance leader Corneille Nangaa, had drawn a large crowd before chaos erupted following the blasts, forcing attendees to flee in panic. The exact number of casualties is yet to be disclosed.
In a statement, AFC/M23 condemned the attack, calling it a 'cowardly and barbaric act' and accusing President Felix Tshisekedi of orchestrating it.
'After their débâcle on the military operations front, the forces coalesced under the Kinshasa regime have attacked the people of Bukavu following our popular meeting,' the group's spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, said in a statement offering condolences to the families of the victims.
The group further stated that the attack was part of a broader plan to eliminate civilians.
'The order to massacre the populations of Bukavu was given by Tshisekedi Tshilombo following a meeting with his last governor expelled from Bukavu,' the statement read.
AFC/M23 has called on regional and international bodies, including the European Union, the African Union, the East African Community, and the South African Development Community (SADC), to 'take full measure of the consequences of this heinous act.'
"We call on the international community, the European Union (EU), the African Union, the EAC, and SADC to fully acknowledge the consequences of this despicable act committed by the Kinshasa regime," Kanyuka stated, further assuring that the group is "committed to taking all necessary measures to ensure security and eliminate any future threats."
The rally took place weeks after AFC/M23 seized Bukavu and Goma, solidifying its control over parts of eastern Congo amid ongoing battles with government forces.
The AFC/M23 rebel group accuses the Congolese government of ethnic persecution against Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese in the east, causing hundreds of thousands of residents to flee to neighbouring countries.
During Thursday's event, Nangaa vowed to push further south, promising to take Uvira within two days and appoint a new leadership structure in South Kivu, mirroring what the group did in North Kivu after capturing Goma.
'I promise you that in two days, we will be at Uvira to restore security. In Bukavu, we will appoint the new governor, two vice-governors, the mayor of the city, three mayors, and territorial administrators,' he declared.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/m23-says-two-people-responsible-for-bukavu-rally-attack-arrested
