AFRICA/DR CONGO - Nearly 900 people killed in the West in clashes among communities

Thursday, 17 January 2019

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - Almost 900 people were massacred in four villages in community violence in the west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), between 16 and 18 December. This was reported by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The massacre took place near Yumbi, in the province of Mai-Ndombe, about 300 km north of the capital Kinshasa and it apparently it is not related to the tensions regarding the elections held on December 30th but to rivalry between the Banunu and Batendé communities.
In addition to the victims there are serious material damages: 465 private houses and public buildings were set on fire or looted. These include two schools, a health center, a clinic, a market and an office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI). Over 16,000 people have taken refuge in the neighboring Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville).
Following the massacre, the authorities in Kinshasa decided to postpone the vote in the area scheduled for December 30th. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 17/1/2019)


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