At least 13 civilians killed by soldier in eastern DR Congo: army

Kinshasa, DRC | Xinhua | At least 13 civilians were killed from Saturday to Sunday by a soldier of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in the village of Nyamamba in the eastern province of Ituri, a local military spokesman said on Sunday.

According to Jules Ngongo, FARDC’s spokesman in Ituri Province, at least ten children were among the victims. The majority of the victims are family members of the soldier who fired the shots, said the spokesman, adding that a family conflict was the cause of this tragedy.

“As the armies, we are shocked and sympathize with the families after the murder of 13 civilians caused by a soldier of the naval force in Tchomia. Whatever the family problem, he should not act in this way. For us, it is a criminal act. He must answer it before military justice,” said Ngongo.

The military authorities have deployed a commission of inquiry to conduct on-site investigations into this killing. ■