DR Congo rebels kill 37 civilians: army

He said that the victims had been killed in their homes, in the village of Beu-Manyama, with machetes and live ammunition by militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group.

DR Congolese army spokesman in Beni territory, Captain Anthony Mwalushay, confirmed this and said that the army had killed seven ADF fighters in reaction to the attack.

The Ugandan and DR Congolese armies launched a joint operation against the ADF in November but have so far failed to contain the violence.

According to the United States, about 130 different armed groups are active in the east of DR Congo, many of them concerned with controlling valuable natural resources.

With about 90 million inhabitants, the country is rich in natural resources such as copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds.