Kinshasa (agencies)
The death toll from the bombing of four camps for displaced people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 15, according to what the authorities said yesterday. Peter Kirmwami, the military governor of North Kivu province, said: 15 people were killed and 35 others were injured following explosions. Camps director Moses Njayabarinzi told the media: The Loshagala, Elohim and Rigo Kipak camps in the Mujunga region, near the city of Goma in eastern Congo, were attacked. A spokesman for the Congolese armed forces, in North Kivu province, said: Fighters from the M23 militia attacked the camps after the army destroyed a weapons and ammunition store for the rebels. The militia rejected these accusations. Njayabarinzi said: The bombing of the camps was followed by an uprising by residents who set up barricades in the streets. Soldiers intervened to restore order.
It is noteworthy that more than 250,000 people have fled fighting between M23 militia fighters and Congolese government forces since last December. Kinshasa accuses regional parties of supporting the rebel group, which controls large areas of North Kivu province, which is rich in resources, including the valuable Coltan mines.
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