Several burned civilians, massacred to death by rebels in DR Congo | Democratic Republic of Congo News



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The deadly attack took place in the village of Kasanzi in the Beni territory of North Kivu province, a local chief said.

Nineteen civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were burned and slaughtered to death by Ugandan rebels, a local official said.

Fourteen bodies were found on Saturday, a day after the incident, Kakule Kalunga told AFP news agency.

A local chief said the bodies were discovered by Red Cross workers who traveled to the nearby forest to search for those missing after the attack on the village of Kasanzi in Beni territory in North Kivu. .

Beni is in the heart of an area where the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – affiliated with ISIS (ISIL) – launched deadly attacks despite President Felix Tshisekedi’s emergency security measures.

“[The] 19 people were killed by the rebels raging in Beni territory, the ADF, ”Kalunga said, adding that the victims had been killed by“ knives and fire ”, and that houses had also been 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 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 the American ambassador to the DRC, Mike Hammer.



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