West DR Congo militia kills nine soldiers at weekend, army spokesman says

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BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – A militia group in west Democratic Republic of Congo killed nine soldiers in an army camp in a village on Saturday, the army spokesman and a chief of a nearby village said on Monday, in a province that has seen communal fighting over land since 2022.

The attack took place in Kwamouth territory in Mai-Ndombe province, where two rival communities – the Teke and the Yaka – have been fighting over land along the Congo River.

Fighters from a predominantly Yaka militia known as Mobondo staged the assault in the village of Kinsele, around 130 northeast of the capital Kinshasa.

Congo army spokesman Sylvain Ekenge said 35 assailants were also killed, as well as one of the soldier’s wives.

The chief of the nearby village of Kimomo said a major, a lieutenant, two captains and five soldiers were killed.

“They surprised the soldiers at their post at around 5 a.m.,” said Stanys Libye. “The military retaliated and some of the assailants were overpowered.”

Intercommunal violence in Kwamouth has killed hundreds of civilians on both sides and destroyed infrastructure since it flared in 2022.

Clashes have continued despite an April 2024 ceasefire agreement between Teke and Yaka traditional chiefs and the Mobondo signed in front of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi.

Some traditional chiefs have contested the deal, saying it was not inclusive.

Congo is also battling armed militias in the east of the country, where a rebel group known as the M23 has been waging a major insurgency since 2022.

(Reporting by Yassin Kombi; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Bernadette Baum)