The explosives that hit a huge crowd of people who had turned up in their thousands for an AFC/M23 rally in Bukavu, on February 27, caused the death of at least 11 people and injured 65, of whom six are in critical condition, according to group's leader.
Corneille Nangaa, the coordinator of AFC/M23 said this during a press conference that was held shortly after the attacks on Bukavu residents who were gathered for the rally which he presided over, along with other leaders.
ALSO READ: M23 vows retaliation after explosives kill people at massive rally in Bukavu
He noted that the person who carried the explosives that detonated at the rally is among the dead. Nangaa extended his condolences to the people of Bukavu with reassurance to keep a calm spirit, and "before this challenge, you are not alone."
Earlier when the meeting started, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka posted a short video, on X, showing a massive crowd that turned up in the city centre at Place du 24.
Afterwards, videos on social media showed scores of people lying down, dead, and others injured after the attack.
ALSO READ: M23 are no terrorists, the Congolese army is - say Bukavu residents
Moments after the attack, Bertrand Bisimwa, the president of M23, pointed an accusing finger at neighbouring Burundi, which is allied with the Kinshasa regime in the fight against the rebel group that controls much of eastern DR Congo.
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Preliminary investigations indicated that the explosives used in the terrorist attack belong to the Burundian army, he said. More than 10,000 Burundian troops are part of Congolese government army coalition that is fighting the rebels.
The attack was referred to as an outcome of a terrorist plan masterminded by the Kinshasa regime, after spreading messages on social networks and WhatsApp groups linked to former South Kivu Governor Jean Jacques Purusi throughout Wednesday, February 26.
The messages warned residents to spare their lives by not turning up at Nangaa's rally, leading to speculations that those who shared such messages had prior knowledge of an impending attack on the rally that was massivelt attended.
The M23 statement adds: "This cowardly and barbaric act will not go unpunished. We call on the international community, the European Union (EU), the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take all necessary measures in response to this heinous act by the Kinshasa regime.
The AFC/M23 rebellion which has, in the past few months, seized swathes of territory and integrated into its ranks hundreds of government soldiers who surrendered is fighting for governance that supports basic human rights, secures all Congolese citizens, and addresses the root causes of conflict in lawless DR Congo.
Meanwhile, a man who was seen on a video that circulated on social media warning people not to attend the rally has been identified as David Radjabu Djuma, who is reportedly infamous for hate speech targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking Congolese.
He is also a fierce supporter of President Felix Tshisekedi.
