Kinshasa: Fourteen people were killed in a machete attack by Ugandan rebels in the Beni region in the restive eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where nearly 100 civilians have already perished, a non-governmental group said Thursday.
The incursion by the Ugandan rebel group ADF took place overnight in the town of Kampi ya Chui and "it's a heavy toll: 14 people massacred by machetes," said Teddy Kataliko, head of the Beni region civil society.
The authorities did not confirm the toll, saying just that they were aware of the attack and that it left "several dead".
The governor of North Kivu province, Julien Paluku, also cautioned that there was a need for confirmation on the deaths as there was "a lot of contradictory information" coming from the attack area.
Amid the escalating violence Congolese President Joseph Kabila travelled to Beni and met Thursday with different groups.
Earlier in the year, the army and Monusco forces had been successful in weakening the Ugandan rebel group.
The rebels, who have been accused of serious human rights violations including using child soldiers, have financed themselves by trafficking gold and wood. Beni is a major hub for wood destined for Uganda.
The incursion by the Ugandan rebel group ADF took place overnight in the town of Kampi ya Chui and "it's a heavy toll: 14 people massacred by machetes," said Teddy Kataliko, head of the Beni region civil society.
The authorities did not confirm the toll, saying just that they were aware of the attack and that it left "several dead".
The governor of North Kivu province, Julien Paluku, also cautioned that there was a need for confirmation on the deaths as there was "a lot of contradictory information" coming from the attack area.
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Amid the escalating violence Congolese President Joseph Kabila travelled to Beni and met Thursday with different groups.
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Earlier in the year, the army and Monusco forces had been successful in weakening the Ugandan rebel group.
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The rebels, who have been accused of serious human rights violations including using child soldiers, have financed themselves by trafficking gold and wood. Beni is a major hub for wood destined for Uganda.
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