Explosions rock M23 rebels' meeting in eastern DRC

Explosions have rocked a city in eastern DR Congo Thursday after a meeting of the M23 attended by one of the armed group's leaders Corneille Nangaa, AFP news agency reports.

Bukavu is one of two key cities in the turbulent region seized in recent weeks by the M23 rebels, who UN experts say are backed by Rwandan forces. Kigali has repeatedly denied backing the rebels.

A first explosion caused panic, sending spectators fleeing, before a second explosion rang out. Some reports suggest there was a third blast.

Nangaa had left Independence Square where the meeting had taken place at the time of the explosions, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

Fresh turmoil

The M23 took control of South Kivu provincial capital Bukavu over a week ago, after capturing Goma, the capital of North Kivu and the main city in the country's east, late last month.

The eastern DRC has been the scene of decades of relentless conflict but has been plunged into fresh turmoil as fighters from the M23 group seize swathes of territory in the two provinces.

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

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