DR Congo declares 3-day national mourning after weekend massacre

The Democratic Republic of Congo has began three days of national mourning following a massacre of more than 42 people in the Eastern parts of the country.

“Three days of mourning will be observed throughout the country from Monday, “ Lambert Mende Omalanga, government spokesman, said in a statement on Sunday.

Government officials say the move is to express the nation’s solidarity with the families of the victims and to “draw the attention of the international community to the tragedy that is ongoing in the Beni region.

This new attack came three days after a visit by President Joseph Kabila to the region, where he promised to do everything to “impose” peace and security.

But on Sunday, hundreds of people chanting slogans against the government demonstrated in Beni. The residents claimed the government has done little to prevent further massacres as they have faced a succession of attacks that have claimed the lives of over 600 people in less than two years.

Rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist militia that has operated in eastern Congo since the 1990s, have been accused of carrying out the attacks.

The group has been accused of human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply involved in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.