Military clashes between Congo and rebels

According to the Associated Press report on February 18, a village in eastern Congo was attacked by rebels overnight, killing 15 civilians and a soldier, and residents fled in shock.

"The search for the bodies continues," Donat Kasereka Kibwana, the chief executive of the Congolese city of Beni, told The Associated Press.

The president of the Congolese National Assembly was visiting Beni city to meet survivors of past massacres when local ADF rebels attacked the village of Arungupa, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) outside Beni. Jenny Mabunda vowed during her visit that laws will be enacted to strengthen the military presence in the Beni area. Local residents have long accused the government of being negligent in the area.

Dozens of armed groups are active in the mineral-rich region of eastern Congo, the report said. Controlling the Ebola outbreak in the region has also been complicated by a series of attacks that have caused tens of thousands to flee their homes