Dozens Killed In Democratic Republic Of Congo Over Weekend
MEP: A number of objectors have killed at least 34 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the weekend, the army and local activists said.
The country has been the scene of multiple attacks and violent protests since President Joseph Kabila refused to step down at the end of his mandate on Tuesday.
The killings happened in Eringeti, a town 55km north of the regional hub Beni, a city plagued by a wave of deadly attacks, according to regional official Amisi Kalonda.
“Yesterday, they killed 10 civilians. Twelve other bodies were found [on Sunday] in the surrounding villages,” he told AFP news agency on Sunday.
The Reuters news agency said several other violent incidents in towns that lie next to the Parc des Virunga, which borders Uganda.
“This must be the response for last time,” local activist Innocent Gasigwa said, referring to an attack on Thursday by Nyatura, an ethnic Hutu militia, that killed at least 17 civilians in a nearby village. He said two militiamen were killed as well.
On Saturday, 21 civilians and 4 militants were killed during attacks in the city of Beni, said military spokesman Captain Mak Hazukay.
The DR Congo has faced numerous problems over the past few decades such as grinding poverty, crumbling infrastructure, and a war in the east of the country that has dragged on since 1998 and has left over 5.5 million people dead.
