Rebels kill at least 17 people in troubled eastern Congo

By CHRISTINA MALKIA
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Local authorities in eastern Congo say that at least 17  people have been killed by rebels. They were abducted while driving on a road and then killed by the CODECO militia group in Djugu territory in Ituri province over the weekend. Fighting between CODECO, a loose association of various ethnic Lendu militia groups, and Zaire, a mainly ethnic Hema self-defense group, has been ongoing since 2017 but has worsened recently. Local officials say that at least 32 civilians were killed by CODECO last month. In December, the United Nations said the insurgent group was expanding its areas of control, attacking civilians and Congo’s military, and taxing communities in the areas that it holds.