660 killed in DRC by Ugandan rebels over a month

By Al-hadji Kudra Maliro

BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo

At least 660 people were killed by Ugandan rebels operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in October, a rights group said Thursday.

According to the Study Centre for the Promotion of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out multiple attacks around the northeastern city of Beni during the month.

Omar Kavotha, a coordinator with the group, called on the government in Kinshasa to deal with “the rebels who massacre, kill, kidnap and rape the population of Beni”.

In November, France announced the deployment of 300 special forces to provide training to Congolese troops facing the ADF.

The ADF comprises several groups opposed to Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. They have been active in eastern DRC since 1995 and have been blamed for the killings of hundreds of civilians around Beni.