Two Explosions Hit Congo's Eastern City of Beni

BENI, CONGO - Congo banned public gatherings for two days starting Monday in Beni, after the eastern city was hit by two explosions.  

A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at a busy intersection in Beni on Sunday, the same day another explosion rocked a Catholic church, authorities said. Neither bomb killed any civilians, but the government closed major gathering spaces for two days and imposed restrictions on public meetings as a precaution against further explosions.  The suicide bomber has been identified as a Ugandan who was a member of the Allied Democratic Forces, according to Congolese army spokesman Lt. Anthony Mwalushay.  The suicide bombing was the first such attack in Beni, worrying authorities who noted the longtime ADF rebel group has in the past few years pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.