A number of people were killed on Thursday, February 27, when explosives hit a huge crowd of people who had turned up in Bukavu, the capital of DR Congo’s South Kivu Province, for an AFC/M23 meeting presided over by rebel leader Corneille Nangaa and his deputies. ALSO READ: Drones, MONUSCO intelligence used in Minembwe, Uvira civilian massacres – warns M23 A few hours after the meeting started, rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka posted a short video, on X, showing the massive crowd that had turned up for the meeting in the city centre. La population de #Bukavu a répondu massivement au meeting populaire de l’AFC/M23 ce 27/02/2025, réaffirmant son soutien à la vision de paix, de justice et de reconstruction prônée par le coordonnateur Corneil Nangaa. pic.twitter.com/ZCdq1lNcV3 — Lawrence KANYUKA (@LawrenceKanyuka) February 27, 2025 Afterwards, videos on social media showed scores of people lying down, dead, and others injured after the attack. Reports indicate that Nangaa was not hurt during the attack. Moments after the attack, Bertrand Bisimwa, one of the senior rebel leaders, pointed an accusing finger at neighbouring Burundi. Preliminary investigations indicated that the explosives used in the terrorist attack belong to the Burundian army, he said. VIDEO: Bukavu residents relieved as M23 secures city, battles genocide ideology More than 10,000 Burundian troops are part of Congolese government army coalition that includes FDLR, a DR Congo-based terrorist militia founded by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, European mercenaries, and South Africa-led SADC forces, that is battling the rebels. #Urgent Barbarie du régime de Monsieur Tshisekedi à Bukavu. Le régime de Monsieur Tshisekedi vient de mettre en exécution la menace qui circule depuis hier sur les réseaux sociaux visant la population civile qui participerait au meeting de l’AFC/M23, jour prévu, selon les... pic.twitter.com/uvAb93XKN4 — Bertrand Bisimwa (@bbisimwa) February 27, 2025 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.
