15th January, 2023
At least 10 people were killed and 39 injured in a bomb attack on a church in Kasindi, in the North Kivu province of Congo, the army said on Sunday.
Army spokesman Anthony Mwalushay confirmed the official death toll to dpa.
He said that while no one has claimed responsibility for the blast – which occurred during a baptism ceremony – a Kenyan national had been arrested.
The government said it suspected the attack was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group.
“The government vigorously condemns the bombing, which was obviously carried out by ADF terrorists,” spokesman Patrick Muyaya said in a statement.
He added that an investigation was under way.
The ADF present themselves as a branch of the Islamic State in Central Africa.
They have been accused of several attacks in eastern Congo and Uganda.
The Ugandan and Congolese armies launched a joint operation against the ADF in 2021 but have so far failed to contain the violence.
According to a 2022 United Nations report, the ADF has been responsible for the massacre of thousands of civilians in the North Kivu and Ituri provinces over the past 10 years.
Around 130 different armed groups are active in eastern Congo, many of them concerned with controlling valuable natural resources, according to United States government data.
With around 90 million inhabitants, the country is rich in natural resources such as copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds. (dpa/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
YEE