The rebel coalition Alliance du Fleuve Congo (AFC), including the Mouvement du 23 mars (M23), has announced its intention to respond to the attacks that took place during a mass rally in Bukavu, capital of South Kivu. According to them, these bombings were the result of a “planned extermination of the civilian population”, orchestrated under the direct orders of the Head of State. “This cowardly and barbaric act will not go unpunished. We call on the international community, the European Union (EU), the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to take all necessary measures to punish this heinous crime of the Kinshasa regime.’ In addition, Bertrand Bisimwa, one of the M23 leaders, stated that the first analyses of the debris indicated the use of explosives belonging to the Burundian army, thus raising new questions about the involvement of regional actors in this drama.
The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution on the situation in Burundi.
