Congo Declares State of Siege Over Eastern Bloodshed
Voice of America
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.This undated handout photo taken by the UN Development Programme and released on May 28, 2024 shows locals digging at the site of a landslide at Mulitaka village in the region of Maip Mulitaka, in Papua New Guinea's Enga Province. This photo released by UNDP Papua New Guinea, shows a landslide in Yambali village, in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, May 27, 2024. Authorities fear a second landslide and a disease outbreak are looming at the scene of Papua New Guinea's recent mass-casualty disaster.
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