Kinshasa, January 19: Mass graves containing the bodies of 49 civilians have been discovered in northeastern Congo after a series of weekend attacks blamed on a local militia, the United Nations said.

UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters on Wednesday in New York that the graves had been uncovered in two villages in Ituri province, about (19 miles) 30 kilometres east of the town of Bunia. UN Urges International Creditors To Consider Suspending Debt Repayment for Pakistan.

A total of 42 victims, including six children, had been discovered in a mass grave in the village of Nyamamba, while the bodies of seven other men were found in another village, Mbogi, Haq added.

"Peacekeepers launched a patrol to the area immediately after receiving reports of attacks on civilians by the CODECO militias over the weekend. This is when they made the gruesome discoveries," Haq said in New York.

Local authorities have said that CODECO — Cooperative for the Development of Congo — militants also abducted a number of women during the attacks on the villages. UK Reaffirms Support for India As Permanent Member in United Nations Security Council.

Last June, seven CODECO factions announced an end to violence against civilians in Ituri, mainly in the Djugu territory where they were very active. Yet they have gradually resumed with attacks in the area.

At least 195 people have been killed since December in a series of attacks blamed on the CODECO militia and other armed groups, the UN said. More than 1.5 million people in Ituri province have been displaced by fighting.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)