Rebel Group Attacks Displacement Camp in Eastern Congo

A rebel group in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province has bombed a displacement camp, killing three civilians and injuring eight others. The attack follows days of attacks near Goma. The M23 rebels, with alleged links to Rwanda, are heading to the town of Sake near Goma.

Congo’s government and UN experts claim the group receives military support from Rwanda, although the country denies it. The group’s spokesperson, Lawrence Kanyuka, referred to their ongoing fighting with Congolese security forces. Over one million people have been displaced since November, adding to the 6.9 million already fleeing their homes in one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises.

Mercy Corps warns that major routes around Goma have been cut off by gunfire and the sounds of artillery. Angered by the conflict, hundreds of people held protests in Congo’s capital, Kinshasa, targeting foreign embassies who they accuse of not supporting the country to end the violence.

The U.N.’s top official in Congo, Bintou Keita, condemned the protests as “unacceptable.” The U.N. peacekeepers, which the Congolese government has deemed ineffective, continue to leave the country ahead of a December deadline.