Militants in eastern Congo kill 12 villagers as country’s leader rules out talks with Rwanda

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A local official and a civil society group say militants killed at least 12 villagers in a spate of attacks in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province. The killings, which took place on Tuesday, came as Congo’s president ruled out dialogue with neighboring Rwanda over a related conflict during a meeting with diplomats. The attack in North Kivu was carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces, a group believed to be linked with the extremist Islamic State group. Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities.