Civilians massacred

Bunia, Congo

Warring tribes have slaughtered more than 230 people, including two U.N. observers, in a battle for the Ituri district of Congo. The Hema and Lendu began fighting two weeks ago after Uganda withdrew troops from the region as part of a U.N.-brokered peace accord aimed at easing Congo’s 5-year-old civil war. The U.N. is investigating the killings, as well as reports of cannibalism by Lendu fighters. “The sight of a corpse with a missing liver and heart is horrific, especially when you know that those parts were eaten by fellow human beings,” said one medical student. Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on France to lead an international force to protect civilians.

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