Six soldiers have been apprehended in the Democratic Republic of Congo for their alleged involvement in the deaths of four civilians during clashes with militias in the eastern region, according to authorities.
The army revealed that the confrontations occurred in Mangina, close to Beni, on Monday, as stated in a release on Tuesday. The situation in the area had been tense following a recent call by a provincial assembly member for youths to take up arms, forming a small militia opposing the army, noted Antony Mwalushayi, a local army spokesperson.
The assembly member, Alain Siwako, refuted these allegations, dismissing the accusation as a personal vendetta by the army spokesperson. Siwako clarified to media over the phone that the militia members were not indigenous to Mangina.
According to the army statement, the soldiers were ambushed by young militia members during a patrol on Monday, leading to gunfire that unintentionally targeted civilians amid the chaos.
A media correspondent documented the discovery of seven civilian bodies in the town on Tuesday. One survivor recounted how his neighbor was fatally shot while attempting to secure his home before fleeing. “He was the father of two children and he died with the padlock in his hand,” said 56-year-old Kahindo Mbahikya, who survived the attacks.
The army stated that the six detained soldiers are under investigation for alleged excessive use of force and the purported killing of the four civilians.
Eastern Congo has a history of numerous militia groups, remnants from the 1998-2003 civil war.
Tensions have remained high across the nation since President Felix Tshisekedi’s re-election in a controversial poll last month.
