Congo Declares State of Siege Over Eastern Bloodshed

BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO - Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.5 million.

A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and U.N. peacekeepers struggle to stabilize the mineral-rich territory. Announcing Tshisekedi's decision, government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya said: "The objective is to swiftly end the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens in that part of the country on a daily basis." He did not say what steps would be taken next under the state of siege in the two affected regions.