At least 12 people, including children, were murdered in bomb assaults on two displacement camps in eastern Congo’s North Kivu region, according to AP, which cited local officials and the United Nations. The United Nations issued a statement regarding the two bomb strikes. The bombings targeted two displaced person camps at Lac Vert and Mungunga, both near Goma, North Kivu’s province capital.
The UN condemned the assaults as a “flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law,” claiming they could constitute a war crime.
According to Congolese army spokesperson Lt. Colonel Ndjike Kaiko, the attacks were carried out by a rebel movement known as M23, which is purportedly linked to Rwanda.
However, the M23 rebel organisation denied any involvement in the attacks and instead blamed Congolese forces, according to the article.
As the crisis develops, particular information from the impacted area is lacking.
According to UN Spokesperson Jean Jonas Yaovi Tossa, the attacks killed at least 12 persons and injured 20.
According to the Associated Press, Save The Children, a charity group, revealed that it was present at one of the camps when the shells landed near a bustling marketplace. They reported several injuries, predominantly among women and children, and the actual death toll is still to be determined.
Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi, who was in Europe at the time, opted to return immediately following the attacks, according to an official statement from his office.
