Congo: Rwanda Hutu Rebels Kill 45 in East

Posted January 5th, 2012 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

The Democratic Republic of Congo's army says Rwandan Hutu rebels have killed about 45 people in the eastern province of South Kivu.

Army officials said Thursday that the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) attacked the Shabunda area twice this week. The attacks were apparently in response to local villagers' support for a self-defense militia.

Earlier reports said the rebel attacks had killed 26.

The Congolese army has deployed soldiers to stop the FDLR attacks. Officials say four rebels were killed Thursday.

Congo's North and South Kivu provinces have been a volatile stew of militia and rebel groups for years. Efforts by the United Nations and the government to integrate the rebels into the army and stabilize the area have largely failed.

The Rwandan Hutu rebels arrived in eastern Congo after Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Hutu extremists carried out the genocide, which killed some 800,000 people.

The FDLR has been accused of committing atrocities in the area.