Democratic Republic of the Congo: Several dead in clashes between army and former rebels
Several people were killed in clashes between the army and former rebels at a military base in the Democratic Republic of Congo Wednesday, officials said.
Tension had been mounting for days at the military base in Kamina, in the southeast, where more than 2,000 former rebels from various groups are stationed as part of a government disarmament programme.
It was unclear how many had died in the bloody clashes, with one rebel source putting the number of dead at around 10 while an army source said at least 20 people had been killed.
Regional governor Celestin Mbuyu said one lieutenant from the Congolese army was among the dead, “killed with a machete by rebels… who were headed to the city centre to loot it”.
More than 2,300 former rebels are stationed in the Kamina base, including members of the ethnic-based Mai-Mai militia and the M23 Movement.