The toll of casualties resulting from the tragic May 3 assault on a displaced persons’ camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has escalated, with a government minister confirming that 35 individuals lost their lives.
Initially, a camp official had reported 15 fatalities. However, Modeste Mutinga Mutushayi, the Minister of Social Affairs, announced in Goma that “the figure now stands at 35 fatalities, with 37 others sustaining injuries.”
The M23 rebel group, predominantly led by Tutsis, recommenced its armed activities in the DRC in 2021 and has gained control over extensive areas.
Mutushayi, accompanied by a delegation from Kinshasa, was in Goma to investigate the assault, which the United States attributes to neighboring Rwanda and the M23 rebel faction, alleging collusion with Kigali.
Rwanda has refuted these accusations by the US, dismissing them as “absurd.”
Following the attack at the Mugunga camp, situated on the western outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, authorities initially reported nine provisional casualties, including several children, with around 30 individuals sustaining injuries.
In the ensuing days, prior to Mutushayi’s statement, the death toll had risen to 14, eventually reaching 15 according to camp officials.
The violence has spilled over into the neighboring South Kivu province amid the ongoing offensive, where authorities attribute a bombing raid that claimed seven lives on Tuesday to the M23 group.
