Kinshasa, March 1 -- The death toll from two explosions in Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has risen to 16, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said late Friday.
The explosions occurred Thursday at the heart of Bukavu shortly after a political rally in support of the M23 rebels. The government and M23 accused each other of perpetrating the blasts.
M23 claims control over several territories in eastern DRC, including Bukavu and Goma, the provincial capitals of South Kivu and North Kivu. On Friday, M23 appointed a "governor" of South Kivu, after establishing a parallel administration in North Kivu in mid-February.
The ongoing conflict between M23 and the DRC government is deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 19...