Bomb attacks at displacement camps in Congo result in deaths of at least 12 people, including children

At least 12 people, including children, were killed in bomb attacks at displacement camps in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province on Friday. The United Nations, local officials, and an aid group confirmed the tragic incident.

The attacks targeted two camps for displaced people in Lac Vert and Mugunga, near the city of Goma, the provincial capital of North Kivu. The UN condemned the attacks as a “flagrant violation of human rights and international humanitarian law” and possibly constituting a war crime.

Lt. Colonel Ndjike Kaiko, a Congolese army spokesperson, attributed the attacks to a rebel group called M23, allegedly linked to Rwanda. However, the M23 rebel group denied any involvement and instead blamed Congolese forces for the bombings.

The death toll from the attacks stood at 12, with over 20 people injured, according to UN spokesperson Jean Jonas Yaovi Tossa. Save The Children, an aid group present at one of the camps during the bombings, reported numerous injuries, especially among women and children.

Congo’s president, Felix Tshisekedi, who was abroad at the time, decided to return home following the bombings. Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebels, a claim Rwanda denies.

The bombings come after the M23 rebel group captured the mining town of Rubaya, known for its tantalum deposits used in smartphone production. The conflict in eastern Congo, fueled by control over valuable minerals, has led to one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing millions and resulting in widespread human rights violations.