22 hacked to death with machetes by rebels in eastern Congo, says governor

KINSHASA, Congo – A Congo official says that 22 people were killed in an attack in eastern Congo believed to be by Ugandan rebels.

Governor of North Kivu Province Julien Paluku told The Associated Press on Saturday that 22 people were hacked to death with machetes on Friday night by suspected rebels of the Ugandan Islamic group, the Allied Democratic Forces.

He said the attack occurred in Erengeti, near the town of Beni, and those killed include a Congolese soldier, 3 civilian men, 10 women and several children.

Paluku said this is the third attack blamed on the ADF rebels since the beginning of this month, despite the presence of U.N. peacekeepers in eastern Congo.