A prominent AFC/M23 leader said that the number of people killed in "the terrorist attack" at a rebel gathering in the city of Bukavu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on Thursday, February 27, has increased to 13 dead and 72 injured, including women and children, according to hospital sources.

After explosives at a large rebel gathering in Bukavu, the capital of DR Congo's South Kivu Province, instantly killed 11 people and injured over 50 more, the rebels warned Thursday that "this cowardly and barbaric act will not go unpunished."

The Kinshasa regime had originally intended to plant bombs at two fuel stations at the entrance to the Place de l'Indépendance, a well-known public square in the centre of Bukavu, "before changing its mind when our soldiers deployed massively to these two sites," according to the preliminary testimony of arrested suspects, deputy rebel leader Bertrand Bisimwa later declared.

"Punitive action against Bukavu residents" As a kind of retaliation against the people of Bukavu for welcoming the Congolese Revolutionary Army, or ARC, soldiers, the Kinshasa government "planned to cause several deaths among the civilian population," according to Bisimwa.

AFC/M23 blamed Tshisekedi "and his accomplices" for the incident and offered its "deepest and most sincere" condolences to the people of Bukavu in the wake of "the terrorist attack" on Thursday.

Part of a rebel statement posted on X read, "We strongly accuse and condemn the criminal regime in Kinshasa, which on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, proceeded with the planned extermination of the civilian population after spreading terrorist messages on social networks and WhatsApp groups of former governor [Jean Jacques] Purusi."

Prior to the rebels moving south and taking Bukavu on February 15, Parusi fled. According to the rebels, Tshitsekedi gave the "order to massacre the people of Bukavu" after meeting with Parusi. "This act of cowardice and barbarism will not be tolerated." In response to this horrific conduct by the Kinshasa government, we urge the international community, the European Union (EU), the African Union, the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take all necessary action. "We implore Bukavu's resilient residents to maintain their composure and carry out their everyday tasks peacefully. The AFC/M23 is dedicated to taking all required steps to guarantee their safety and stop any threats in the future.

Rebel spokesperson Lawrence Kanyuka shared a little video on X a few hours after the meeting began, showcasing the large number of people who showed up in the city centre.

Following the incident, social media videos revealed some persons dead, lying down, and others hurt. Eleven individuals died instantaneously, according to early reports, while over 60 more were injured. Shortly after the assault, Bisimwa accused Burundi, a bordering country. According to preliminary findings, the Burundian army is the owner of the explosives used in the terrorist attack, he added. The Congolese government army coalition combating the rebels includes over 10,000 Burundian troops.

South Africa-led SADC forces, European mercenaries, remnants of the Rwandan Genocide masterminds, a loose coalition of local militia groups known as Wazalendo, and the FDLR, a terrorist outfit located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, are also part of the Congolese army coalition.

The AFC/M23 rebellion, which has taken over large areas of territory in recent months and incorporated hundreds of surrendering government soldiers into its ranks, is fighting for governance that upholds fundamental human rights, protects all Congolese citizens, and tackles the underlying causes of conflict in the lawless Democratic Republic of the Congo.