World
At least 64 people were hacked to death by suspected rebels in North Kivu province in Democratic Republic of Congo (D.R.C.) late on Saturday. The authorities said that fighters from Allied Democratic Forces (A.D.F.), a Ugandan rebel group, launched the machete attack to avenge military operations in the area. The assault comes within a week after 14 people were killed in another incident in the town of Beni.
On August 4, D.R.C. President Joseph Kabila met his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni to discuss a coordinated military strategy against the A.D.F. rebels, who have been dominant in eastern D.R.C. for more than two decades, writes Al Jazeera. The group is accused of carrying out numerous massacres in the Beni area, killing about 600 civilians since October 2014.
Saturday’s attack sparked angry protests, with people chanting anti-government slogans, reports the BBC. Government’s inability to keep local population safe against rising violence in the region has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups.
Analysts blame inadequate intelligence, coordination and resources for the government’s failure to rein in a small A.D.F force, notes ABC News. Eastern Congo continues to be a hotbed for a number of armed groups that thrive on rich mineral reserves in the region.
