At least 161 people have been killed in a northeastern province of Democratic Republic of Congo in the past week, local officials said on Monday, in an apparent resurgence of ethnic clashes between farming and herding communities. "Violence in northeastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo is reported to have displaced more than 300,000 since early June. The UNHCR fears that the escalation could engulf large parts of the province, amid reports of killings, kidnappings and sexual violence unleashed against civilians, he said. An Ebola epidemic in Congo, which spread to Uganda last week, has caused 2,168 infections since August, including 1,449 deaths, with Ituri accounting for about 10 percent of cases and deaths, WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic said. "We are always saying the mobility of the population in North Kivu and Ituri is a risk factor," Jasarevic told the briefing.

Source: bd News24 June 18, 2019 10:07 UTC