Nearly 300 Killed in Rwanda Violence

The Rwandan army and Hutu rebels have recently killed nearly 300 people in the northwestern corner of the country, a U.N. official said Friday. Many of the victims were unarmed civilians.

The U.N. report, based on witness accounts, disputes government accounts that place the death toll lower.

Ian Martin, head of the U.N. human rights team in the central African country, said the Tutsi-led army has killed more than 200 people in the Gisenyi area since June 24. He said Hutu rebels have killed 90 others.

“There is a steady stream of reports of killings by both insurgents and soldiers,” Martin said. “I am greatly concerned about the increasing violence in recent weeks.”

Both sides have apparently targeted civilians, Martin said.

There was no immediate comment from the government.