Congo rebels kill at least 8 civilians in mounting ethnic violence
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KINSHASA - Rebel fighters killed at least eight civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo before fleeing when Congolese troops arrived, local sources said, in a region where a spike in ethnic violence has halted some aid deliveries.
Hundreds of civilians have died over the past year in inter-communal violence and a series of massacres by armed groups in Congo's North Kivu province, which borders Rwanda and Uganda.
Lawless eastern Congo is plagued by dozens of armed groups that prey on the local population and exploit mineral reserves. Millions died there between 1996 and 2003 as regional conflict caused hunger and disease. The recent increase in violence has prevented aid from reaching vulnerable populations.
