DEADLY BOMBING AT DISPLACEMENT CAMP IN GOMA
GOMA — The United States has pointed fingers at the Rwandan army and M23 rebel group for the tragic bombing of a displacement camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in the loss of at least nine lives, including seven innocent children, in the Mugunga camp located in the eastern city of Goma on Friday.
The blame game ensued between the Congolese army and M23 rebel group, both accusing each other for the attack, while Rwanda, the neighboring country, faced accusations of backing the rebel group and dismissed the US accusation as “ridiculous”.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makalo defended the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) as a professional army that would never target a camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP).
The US State Department pointed out that the attack on Friday originated from positions held by the RDF and the M23 group, expressing deep concerns over the recent territorial expansion of both parties in eastern DR Congo and urging them to uphold human rights and international humanitarian law.
Social media images depicted a grim scene at the camp on Friday, with lifeless bodies strewn across the ground as residents sought refuge from the ongoing conflicts in their hometowns.
In response to earlier Congolese attacks on Rwandan army positions, Lt. Col. Guillaume Njike Kaiko, a spokesperson for DR Congo’s army in the region, claimed the strike was a retaliatory measure.
President Félix Tshisekedi, returning to DR Congo following the attack after weeks abroad, is faced with escalating tensions between rebel and government troops accused of committing atrocities against civilians in their battle for territorial dominance.
Furthermore, recent reports emerged of M23 fighters seizing the town of Rubaya, a strategic area rich in coltan used for mobile phones and electric vehicle batteries.
Amidst the chaos, a military court in Goma sentenced eight DR Congo soldiers to death for “desertion” and “cowardice” during encounters with rebel forces.
M23, originating as a splinter group from another rebel faction in 2012, purportedly aimed to safeguard the ethnic Tutsi community in eastern DR Congo, long subjected to discrimination and persecution.
UN experts have alleged Rwandan support for the group, a claim consistently denied by Kigali, which is also led by Tutsis. — BBC
