A militia killed at least 23 people in attacks on several villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province in recent days, local authorities said on Saturday.
The Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, one of many armed groups operating in the conflict-ridden east, carried out the killings in Djugu territory on Thursday and Friday, two local community leaders told Reuters.
"Most of the victims were killed with machetes, but those who tried to flee were shot. In all these villages, people's belongings were taken, houses were burnt down," said Vital Tungulo, president of Djugu's Nyali-Kilo community.
The motive for the attacks was not clear but militia violence in Congo is linked to long-running competition for influence and the region's rich mineral resources.