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Nineteen civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were burned and slaughtered to death on Friday by Ugandan Islamist rebels, a local official said on Saturday.
Fourteen bodies were found on Saturday, Kakule Kalunga told AFP. A local chief said they were discovered by Red Cross workers who traveled to the nearby forest to search for those missing after the attack on Kasanzi village in Beni territory in North Kivu. .
Beni is in the heart of an area where the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – linked to the Islamic State – have launched deadly attacks despite the emergency security measures of President Felix Tshisekedi.
The “19 people were killed by rebels raging in Beni territory, the ADF,” Kalunga said, adding that the victims were killed by “knives and guns”, and houses were also set on fire. .
In a statement Friday, Meleki Mulala, spokesperson for the New Civil Society organization in Rwenzori, deplored the absence of soldiers around Beni.
Regional military sources contacted by AFP on Saturday did not immediately comment.
Since May, the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri have been under siege, replacing the civilian authorities with soldiers and police to fight armed groups.
Earlier this month, a contingent of US special operations forces arrived in the region to assist the Congolese army in its fight against the ADF, US and Congolese sources said at the time.
The size of the contingent was unknown but around ten soldiers were visible in official photos of a meeting between Tshisekedi and a delegation led by US Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mike Hammer.
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