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42 police ambushed, beheaded by Congolese militia

By Eric DuVall
A militia in the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo was blamed for ambushing and decapitating 42 government police officers on Saturday. The militia has been fighting government security forces outside the city of Kananga, shown here, for months. Image courtesy Google Maps
A militia in the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo was blamed for ambushing and decapitating 42 government police officers on Saturday. The militia has been fighting government security forces outside the city of Kananga, shown here, for months. Image courtesy Google Maps

March 25 (UPI) -- A Congolese militia ambushed and beheaded 42 police officers in one of the most gruesome incidents of violence in the country recently.

The incident happened outside the city of Kananga, in the central part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Violence in the south central provinces in the Kasai region of the Congo has been simmering for months with a local tribal militia known as Kamuina Nsapu fighting government security forces.

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According to a United Nations estimate, more than 400 people have been killed in the fighting since last year and tens of thousands of Congolese in the area have been forced to flee or risk being caught up in the fighting.

The New York Times reported Saturday tensions have flared after a series of videos surfaced online of government forces killing civilians in the region. The Congolese army announced last week seven officers had been arrested and charged with war crimes after a video showed them shooting 13 unarmed civilians to death.

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