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Dozens Killed with Machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A member of FIB stands guard in the Beni region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the UN backed the FARDC in an operation (March 2014) A member of FIB stands guard in the Beni region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) where the UN backed the FARDC in an operation (March 2014) MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

4 August 2016
Dozens were attacked and killed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Dozens were hacked to death with machetes in the town of Beni in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday night, 14 August, 2016. The number of reported deaths is conflicting, reaching as low as 35 and as high as 75. The army has blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group of Ugandan origin.

The attacks are thought to be a way of inciting rebellion against the army and government. It has been reported that the Congolese army and United Nations Peacekeeping Forces have been rendered ineffective against such attacks due to a lack of intelligence, resources, and coordination. After the 14 August attack dozens took to the streets in Beni protesting the army’s inability to deal with the attack.   

The Beni area in particular has seen multiple attacks since October 2014 that have left more than 600 civilians dead. Most of these attacks occur overnight and involve machetes and hatchets. The United Nations is strongly condemning this latest attack on the citizens of Beni.

 

For more information, please read:

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/scores-hacked-death-machete-attack-dr-congo-160814133550565.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-congo-violence-idUSKCN10P0E9
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=54686&Kw1=Congo&Kw2=&Kw3=#.V_IjEIh96Uk
http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/content/51-people-killed-dr-congo-machete-attack-ngo%E2%80%99s

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