DR Congo: Explosions at M23 rally kill at least 11

Two explosions in the second-largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Thursday killed at least 11 people and injured around 65.

The blasts occurred at a meeting of leaders of the M23 armed group and residents in the South Kivu provincial capital of Bukavu.

Congo's president, Felix Tshisekedi, called the attack "a heinous terrorist act."

Meanwhile, M23 accused the Congolese authorities of being behind the attack.

"We are accusing and condemning vigorously the criminal regime of Kinshasa, which just implemented its plan of exterminating civilian populations," the group said in a statement.

What do we know about the explosions?

The first blast sent spectators fleeing the scene before the second rang out.

Crowds were gathering at a rally held by Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance (AFC), a coalition of militias that includes M23.

"The author of the attack is among the victims," Nangaa told reporters after the incident.

It was Nangaa's first public appearance in Bukavu since the city fell to his forces nearly two weeks ago.

M23 gaining ground in eastern DRC

M23 fighters who UN experts say are backed by Rwandan forces continue to gain more territory in a lightning offensive.

They seized the key city of Bukavu after taking control of Goma, the capital of North Kivu and the main city in the country's east, late last month.

The capture of Bukavu and Goma gives the M23 group, which resurfaced in late 2021, a major foothold in the mineral-rich region.

Edited by: Sean M. Sinico