Explosions claim 12 lives, including children in Congo

At least 12 people, including children, have died as a result of bomb strikes on two displacement camps in eastern Congo, according to the UN.

The bombs hit the camps in Lac Vert and Mugunga, near the city of Goma, the UN said in a statement, calling the attacks a “flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime”.

A two-year offensive by a rebel group known as M23 has moved closer to the eastern city of Goma in recent months, prompting thousands to seek refuge in the city from surrounding areas.

Aid group Save The Children said it was present at one of the camps when shells struck close to a busy marketplace ahead of their vehicle. It said dozens were injured, mostly women and children, and the death toll was still unclear.

A UN spokesperson, Jean Jonas Yaovi Tossa, said at least 12 people were killed and more than 20 injured in the attacks.

In a statement, Lt Col Ndjike Kaiko, a Congolese army spokesperson, blamed the bombings on M23 which has alleged links to neighboring Rwanda.

But in a statement posted on X, the M23 rebel group denied any role in the attacks and blamed Congolese forces instead.

Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, who was travelling in Europe, decided to return home Friday after the bombings, according to a statement from his office.

Tshisekedi has long alleged that Rwanda is destabilizing Congo by backing the M23 rebels.

It’s a claim Rwanda denies. UN experts, along with the US state department, have also accused Rwanda of backing the rebels.