UN to investigate DRC massacre

2005-07-12 21:17

Nairobi / Kinshasa - A team of forensic experts and human rights officers is investigating a reported massacre of dozens of villagers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), many of whom allegedly were burned alive in their huts, United Nations (UN) officials said on Tuesday.

"We're going there to gather evidence that might help us find out who did this. All we have now is the testimony of the survivors," said Kemal Saiki, spokesperson for the UN mission in the DRC.

The alleged attack occurred over the weekend in the remote village of Mtulumamba, near the South Kivu's provincial capital of Bukavu.

Villagers have reported that well-armed attackers corralled at least 39 people, mostly women and children, into their huts before setting them ablaze.

Attackers identified

On Monday, UN peacekeepers visiting the village confirmed some of the huts had been burnt to the ground, and reported seeing two freshly dug mass graves.

Many witnesses identified the attackers as Rwandan Hutu rebels, who have launched numerous raids on villages in the DRC's volatile northeastern provinces, killing thousands.

A top commander for the rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, known by the French acronym FDLR, called the UN-sponsored radio station in the DRC to strenuously deny his group's involvement in the alleged massacre.

The UN DRC mission has been trying to disarm and repatriate thousands of FDLR troops roaming the DRC countryside, but Rwanda's government has so far been reluctant to welcome them back, claiming many of them should face trial for taking part in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA