A shell of a rocket launcher apparently accidentally exploded in a crowded stadium in Goma town, Eastern Democratic of Congo (DRC) late Thursday killing at least one player, and leaving more other wounded, several correspondents in the region reported Friday quoting the Police.
The city of Goma, where the explosion took place is the capital of North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Latest fighting in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo between the army and M23 rebels has moved close to this strategic city located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi.
Initial investigations indicate that the incident happened after a drunk Congolese soldier on patrol accidentally fired a rocket into the stadium leaving several people wounded.
After months of fighting and rising tensions across the Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the region is enjoying “a fragile lull”, including an improvement in relations between the DRC and neighboring Rwanda.
Earlier this month, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Huang Xia, told the Security Council that hundreds of civilians have been killed at the hands of armed groups, which “continue to sow terror.”
Diplomatic relations have soured between Kinshasa and Kigali, over whether the resurgent M23 rebel movement, which originally grew out of a faction of former DRC army officers, is being supported by Rwanda – a charge vehemently denied in Kigali. Cross border incidents earlier this year led to a serious risk of escalation and confrontation, the Council heard earlier this month.
