No Fewer Than 19 Killed As Militia Attacks Two Villages In Congo

No fewer than 19 people have been killed in an attack by an armed group on two Congolese villages, a local youth leader said Saturday.

The militia known as Mai Mai Mazembe, most of whose members belong to the Nande ethnic group, attacked Hutus living in the villages of Kaghala and Rushaki in a north-eastern province on Friday, Philippe Manizaye said.

Six people were reported injured. The army confirmed the attack, without giving a death toll.

The reasons for the attack were not known. Inter-ethnic clashes are common in the region, where dozens of armed groups vie for control over natural resources.

Many of the militias have been constituted on an ethnic basis, and dozens of people have been killed in inter-ethnic clashes this year.