30 dead in clashes between troops and militia in east DR Congo

Soldier.

A soldier from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) is seen in their military base outside Oicha. PHOTO | AFP

Thirty people, including 11 civilians, have died in two days of fighting between government forces and a militia in the eastern DR Congo province of Ituri, the army said Thursday.

The area, located in the territory of Djugu, around 60 kilometres from Ituri's capital Bunia, is rich in gold, and CODECO has been accused by local civil groups of illegally extracting the precious metal.