The bomb exploded at the entrance of an In Box restaurant, where more than 30 people were celebrating Christmas, according to two witnesses. Destroyed chairs, tables, glasses and bottles were thrown around the restaurant. “I was sitting there, a motorcycle was standing still. Suddenly the motorcycle drove away at lightning speed and then there was a deafening noise,” said Nicolas Ekila, a presenter of a radio station in Beni.
“The suicide bomber was prevented by the security agents from entering the bar full of customers. The death toll so far stands at six, including the suicide bomber, and 13 were wounded and admitted to local hospitals,” said Brigadier General Sylvain Ekenge, spokesman for the military governor.
The background of the attack was not immediately clear. Beni is located in the northeast of Congo. Several rebel groups are active in the violence-plagued province of North Kivu. The ADF alone, which is affiliated with IS (Islamic State), has killed 200 people since the beginning of this year, according to the United Nations. About 40,000 people were displaced.