Kinshasa – One suspect has been arrested after two bomb blasts hit the city of Beni in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Sunday, according to the DRC government.
“An apprehended suspect is being interrogated,” the DRC’s Ministry of Communication and Media tweeted Sunday night, hours after the second blast, promising “thorough investigations.”
On Sunday morning, a bomb exploded in a local church, injuring at least two people and causing considerable damage. In the evening, a suicide bomber blew himself up on the outskirts of Beni, killing himself and injuring at least two others, according to police.
A curfew was declared late Sunday in the city following the tragedies. Check-points went into operation for close control of the movement of people and goods to “track down the enemies of the people,” said the ministry.
According to media reports citing local authorities, school activities will be suspended and markets will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.
The authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators, but many in the city believed the first explosion was launched by rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces, a militia group that has been active in the area for decades.
Faced with growing insecurities in the region, President Felix Tshisekedi declared a state of siege in North Kivu and neighboring Ituri province in April.