World News
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) – At least two students and a teacher were eliminated and several other teachers abducted after a primary school holding examinations was attacked by unknown gunmen in eastern Congo, authorities and the United Nations stated on Friday.
Precise information of the attack and the number of casualties stayed uncertain.
Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi stated two trainees passed away when fighting broke out in North Kivu province on Thursday morning. He did not give additional information.
Cosmas Kangakolo, an administrator for Masisi area, said the Ngoyi Primary School was assaulted. He said one instructor passed away and several were kidnapped.
Test centres in the area are protected by the army, Kangakolo stated, due to the fact that of endemic security problems.
The United Nations children’s fund stated in a statement the clashes happened between law enforcement and an armed group near to the examination centre. It was unclear whether the students were targets of the combating or captured in cross-fire.
Rich in fertile soils and natural resources but awash with weapons, big parts of eastern Congo continue to suffer from persistent instability following the 1998-2003 war in which millions of people died.
Violence has actually flared in current months with armed groups killing more than 1,300 individuals in the first half of 2020, 3 times more than the previous year.
Reporting by Fiston Mahamba and Stanis Bujakera; Editing by Hereward Holland and Mark Potter
