Ethnic militia clashes kill 18 in eastern Congo: army

KINSHASA, 22 Dec. - (ANA) - Fighting between Hutu and Nande ethnic militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday killed 17 civilians and one police officer, a local army spokesman said, in a sign of worsening insecurity across the vast country.

"Some were killed by gunshots and others by machetes," Captain Guillaume Djike told Reuters.

Innocent Gasigwa, a local activist, said the clashes involved the predominantly ethnic Nande "Mai Mai Mazembe" militia and mostly Hutu "Nyatura" fighters. - (ANA) -

AB/ANA/ 22 December 2016 - - -