Several residents of Bukavu were killed, and others were injured in bomb explosions that occurred after a gathering organized on Thursday afternoon by the rebel alliance AFC, which includes the M23.
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The meeting, attended by Corneille Nangaa, leader of the politico-military coalition, began well, with a massive and enthusiastic crowd. However, the joyful atmosphere was abruptly interrupted shortly after the gathering ended when bombs exploded, causing widespread panic among the residents who rushed to flee and seek shelter.
Bertrand Bisimwa, the president of the M23 movement, accused the government of Félix Tshisekedi of deliberately targeting civilians to eliminate Nangaa.
“The Tshisekedi regime has just carried out the threat that had been circulating since yesterday on social media, targeting the civilian population that would participate in the AFC/M23 meeting the day planned, according to the authors of the threat, for the physical elimination of Coordinator Corneille Nangaa,” Bisimwa stated in a communiqué published on social media, strongly condemning the attack.
“This Thursday, February 27, 2025, a few minutes after the meeting, enemy forces dropped bombs on the civilian population gathered at the meeting site, causing several deaths and injuries, all innocent civilians,” Bisimwa added.
The M23 leader noted that these attacks had intensified in recent days, targeting several villages despite the establishment of a ceasefire.
“For several days, the Kinshasa regime has continued to drop bombs, using drones, on densely populated villages in South Kivu during the ceasefire period, far from the front lines,” the M23 president concluded.
This meeting took place a few weeks after the rebel group took control of Bukavu and Goma, further strengthening its hold over eastern Congo, where clashes with government forces have been ongoing for several months.
The M23 movement accuses the Congolese government of ethnic persecution against Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese, a policy that has forced hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee to neighboring countries.
During today’s meeting, Corneille Nangaa vowed to liberate Uvira within the next two days and to appoint a new governor for the South Kivu province, similar to what was done in North Kivu after the capture of Goma.
“I promise you that in two days, we will be in Uvira to restore security. In Bukavu, we will appoint a new governor, two deputy governors, the mayor of the city, three burgomasters, and territorial administrators,” he declared.
