The main road in Beni, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Photo: IRIN/Jessica Hatcher 5 February 2015 – Countries must come together to “neutralize all negative forces” terrorizing the population in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the United Nations Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region urged today following meetings with top Rwandan officials to discuss recent peace and security developments in the region.
The call for united action comes a day after a massacre of civilians took place in the area of Beni town in the DRC’s restive northeast. Civilians in the village of Mayangose-Kibidiwe were attacked with machetes. At a separate attack in Kasu, in Eastern Province, several villagers were beheaded by people from outside, the UN Mission in that country ( MONUSCO ) confirmed.
"Countries in the region should remain united in efforts to neutralize all negative forces in eastern DRC and support military action against the FDLR," Special Envoy Said Djinnit said in a statement released from Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, today.
The FDLR, or the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, is an armed group comprised of perpetrators of the 1994 Rwanda genocide who have a long history of heinous crimes in the DRC. […]