The explosions occurred on 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. The ongoing conflict between M23 and the DRC government is deeply rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The conflict has led to massive population displacements and a worsening humanitarian crisis. Tensions remain high despite diplomatic and military efforts to end the hostilities. A meeting of foreign ministers from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC), initially scheduled for Friday in Harare, Zimbabwe, did not take place for unknown reasons. In Ituri, violence is usually attributed to fighting over land and resources and between ethnic groups. The eastern DRC is rich in minerals and has seen a recent surge in hostilities, as part of M23 rebel in the Kivus stated aim to take Kinshasa. The joint SADC-EAC summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, three weeks ago represents the latest peace mechanism to address the crisis in the Great Lakes region, Xinhua news agency reported.
