There was an explosion at the airport in the volatile eastern city of Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo amid clashes between government forces and rebels.
The incident occurred on Saturday in the strategically important town of Sake, approximately 20 kilometres (12 miles) away from Goma.
“Yes, it’s true, Goma airport was hit by a bomb last night,” a source in the governorate of North Kivu province said, asking not to be named.
A security source spoke of “two bombs” at the facility in Goma, the North Kivu capital and home to one million people, adding that they “caused no damage”.
“Two experts are on site to check where the bombs were fired from,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has expressed deep concern this week regarding the “escalating violence” in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, condemning an offensive launched by the predominantly Tutsi M23 rebels near Goma.
Reports indicate that DR Congo, along with the UN and Western nations, has accused Rwanda of supporting the rebels to gain control over the region’s rich mineral resources, an allegation strongly denied by Kigali.
Over the last two years, the rebels have seized significant portions of North Kivu, leading to heightened instability in the area.
Recent clashes have resulted in tens of thousands of civilians fleeing towards Goma, a city positioned between Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border, leaving them isolated from the country’s interior.
A confidential UN report, obtained by AFP earlier this week, suggests that the Rwandan military is providing support to the M23 rebels, utilizing sophisticated weaponry like surface-to-air missiles.
According to the report, a mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) believed to be from the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF) was fired at a UN observation drone last Wednesday, narrowly missing its target.
Despite the presence of UN forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for nearly 25 years, they have faced criticism for not effectively protecting civilians from armed groups.
In December, the UN Security Council agreed to honor Kinshasa’s request for a withdrawal, despite the volatile situation in the region. However, violence in the Congo persists despite numerous diplomatic efforts.
African leaders, meeting for a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, discussed the situation in the DRC on the sidelines late Friday and were scheduled to reconvene on Saturday to address the ongoing crisis.