At least 11 people have been killed by a rebel group in northeastern Congo, a local official said on Sunday. Isaac Kibira, deputy to the governor of Biwito region in North Kivu, said the victims were killed by M23, a rebel group that the UN says has links to neighboring Rwanda. Rwanda has denied the allegation.
M23 rose to prominence 10 years ago when its fighters captured Goma, the largest city in eastern Congo, on the border with Rwanda. Its name is derived from the peace agreement of 23 March 2009, which the Congolese government has been accused of not implementing.
On Sunday morning the bodies of 11 civilians were found, left in two neat rows in the grass. According to Paris-based research group Sahel Intelligence, M23 had occupied the region since Tuesday before retreating.
M23 is one of more than 120 armed groups fighting in eastern Congo, most competing for control of land and mines containing valuable minerals, while others are trying to protect their communities from rival armed groups.
Last week’s armed occupation of the Bivito region forced hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes and into neighboring communities, with the UN estimating that the violence has displaced 5.5 million people in Congo.
(with input from AP)