Civilians Slain and Mutilated, Army Says

Mai-Mai warriors have slaughtered about 100 civilians and seven military officers in southeastern Congo in the last month, often mutilating bodies and draining the blood, the military said.

The killings near Kitenge, 435 miles north of Lubumbashi, have largely been perpetrated by the followers of a man known as Chinja Chinja, who commanded anti-government troops during Congo’s war, said Gen. Alengbia Nzambe.

The military said Chinja Chinja, who has been unwilling to integrate into Congo’s new army, was trying to make a name for himself by creating a cult of fear. Congo’s war was declared over in July, bringing rebel groups into a power-sharing government, but violence has persisted despite the deployment of 10,800 U.N. peacekeepers.