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Islamist Rebels Kill 33 People in Ebola-Hit Congolese Region

Islamist Rebels Kill 33 People in Ebola-Hit Congolese Region

(Bloomberg) --

Suspected Allied Democratic Forces militants killed at least 33 people in attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo region of Beni that’s the epicenter of an Ebola epidemic, according to civil society groups.

The violence against civilians is in retaliation to the Congolese military stepping up an offensive against the rebels in the eastern region following frequent attacks. The ADF was formed in 1995 in opposition to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and is among dozens of militant groups active in the restive area.

“Eleven people, including children, were killed Monday morning while 22 people were killed on Saturday night,” Noella Katsongerwaki, president of a group of civil society organizations in Beni, said by phone.

The attacks are expected to complicate Congolese health workers’ efforts to reach areas affected by the Ebola outbreak. The disease has killed more than 2,210 people and infected about 3,350 people, according to the World Health Organisation.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ignatius Ssuuna in Goma at issuuna@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Dulue Mbachu

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