DRC: Over 100 dead as troops, militia clash

The UN human rights office said on Tuesday it is “deeply concerned” about reports that more than 100 people have been killed in clashes between Congolese soldiers and militia fighters mainly armed with machetes and spears.
If confirmed, the UN said, it “would suggest excessive and disproportionate use of force by the soldiers.”
The death toll was immediately criticised by both the local governor and Democratic Republic of Congo’s government spokesperson, who called the UN comments “hasty and improper.”
Rights office spokesperson Liz Throssell said on Tuesday that the violence in the Dibaya area of Kasai-Central province allegedly involved troops who “opened fire indiscriminately” when they spotted militia members between Thursday and Monday.
Some 39 women were among those killed, Throssell said, citing information from local colleagues and unspecified “sources” in the region.