Twelve victims of a deadly explosion in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were laid to rest on Tuesday in a somber ceremony led by newly appointed rebel authorities.
The tragic blast occurred last Thursday in Bukavu, a city under the control of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels since February, fueling tensions between Congo’s government and the insurgents.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as a grenade strike intended for a convoy of rebel leaders, but it missed its mark and detonated in the crowded central square.
Seventeen people lost their lives in the explosion, with eleven dying on the spot and others succumbing to injuries in hospital, provincial vice governor Dunia Masumbuko Bwenge confirmed.
Mourners gathered in grief at the funeral, where a priest sprinkled holy water on coffins as women wept for their lost husbands and sons.
Claude Balolebwami Nyarubasa, whose brother Bruno was passing through the square at the time, mourned his loss and pleaded for peace.
“At the moment, we are very worried, very worried, we ask our government to guarantee us peace,” he told Reuters.
The Congolese army has accused Rwandan troops and M23 rebels of launching the attack, claiming they fired rockets and grenades into a crowd gathered for a rebel leader’s speech.
Rwanda denies any involvement with M23, while rebel alliance leader Corneille Nangaa has placed the blame on Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi.
The recent resurgence of M23 rebels marks the worst escalation of conflict in over a decade, a crisis rooted in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide and the battle over Congo’s vast mineral wealth.
