Rebels kill at least 30 people in eastern Congo town, mayor says, amid resurgence of activity

KINSHASA, Congo – A local official says rebels crept into houses and attacked civilians, killing at least 30 people around the town of Beni in eastern Congo.

Mayor Nyonyi Bwana Kawa said Thursday that members of the Allied Defense Forces from Uganda attacked late Wednesday near the town which is about 400 kilometers from the North Kivu provincial capital of Goma.

Last week the rebel group had killed about nine people in Oicha in the province.

There has been a resurgence of rebel activity in northeast Congo.

Eastern Congo is home to a myriad of armed groups and militias, many vying for control of the region's vast mineral resources. Many of the rebel groups sowing unrest there originate in other countries in the region, including Burundi, Uganda and Rwanda.