Hundreds protest in DRC after massacre of 50 civilians in Beni

Hundreds protest in DRC after massacre of 50 civilians in Beni

Hundreds of protesters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) demonstrated on Wednesday (August 17) against the government and army over its failure to stop the massacre of at least 50 civilians by rebel groups.

The protests in the town of Beni, once considered a political stronghold for the government, added to tensions in Democratic Republic of Congo ahead of an election set for November in which the opposition has called for President Joseph Kabila to step down after his allotted two terms.

The demonstrations were prompted by locals who became angry that Ugandan rebels, suspected of the killings in Rwangoma, were not brought to justice. More than 700 people have died in similar attacks on civilians since 2014.

The government blames the attacks on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group of a few hundred fighters that has operated in eastern Congo since the 1990s.

The UN Security Council has condemned the killings and called on the government of the DRC to take further military action in accordance with international law and with the support of MONUSCO to end the threat posed by the ADF and all other armed groups operating in the region

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