Twelve victims of a deadly blast at a rally last week in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were laid to rest on Tuesday in a ceremony organized by newly appointed rebel authorities. The incident took place last Thursday in the city of Bukavu that has been under the control of Rwanda-backed M23 rebels since February.

As the conflict continues to ravage the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bishops are warning about the real possibility of the violence spreading throughout the entire Great Lakes region of Africa.

The World Health Organization says that authorities investigating the deaths of at least 60 people in northwestern Congo suspect the water source in one of the areas may have been contaminated.

At least 53 people have died from an unidentified virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with the WHO confirming alarming trends among affected demographics.

MONUSCO, the U.N. peacekeeping force in the DRC, said the reported killings were under investigation but remained unverified.

The World Health Organization speculated that a mass poisoning event was behind the deaths of 60 people. But African experts suspect a more mundane cause.

The latest conflict in eastern Congo has exposed endemic weaknesses in the country’s military, long known for corruption, extortion and abuse.

Comfort Ero, President of the International Crisis Group, talks to Bianna Golodryga about what’s driving the deadly crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rwanda-backed rebels captured a key eastern Congo city a month ago Friday. Residents in Goma say they are struggling on various fronts even as the rebels try to consolidate their administration and restart normal life.

Congo and the African Development Bank celebrate the strengthening of their strategic partnership for inclusive and sustainable development