At least nine people, including seven children, were tragically killed in a strike at a displacement camp in the eastern Congolese city of Goma. The attack, which occurred in the Lac Vert district, left several others wounded, with the death toll expected to rise.
The exact nature of the explosive device used and the responsible party remain unclear. However, Lieutenant-Colonel Guillaume Njike Kaiko, a spokesman for the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army in the region, stated that the strike was in retaliation for earlier DRC attacks on Rwandan army positions.
The incident has sparked condemnation from opposition leaders, who are calling on the international community to take action against Rwanda’s alleged military involvement in the country. The Congolese government, U.N. officials, and Western powers have accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 rebel group, although Rwanda denies these claims.
In response to the attack, the Congo branch of Doctors Without Borders (MSF) had to halt medical consultations and distribution rounds due to rising insecurity in the area. MSF Congo condemned the use of heavy artillery near displacement camps, highlighting the tragic consequences for the population caught in the crossfire.
This recent attack is just one in a series of escalating incidents in the region, underscoring the ongoing threat to Goma, a crucial urban center in the conflict-ridden eastern DRC. The international community is closely monitoring the situation as tensions continue to rise in the area.