Dozens civilians have been killed in Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province

Dozens civilians have been killed in a spate of attacks over the past week across the Democratic Republic of Congo's troubled North Kivu province. The armed men used guns and machetes to attack residents of on Friday, local official Fabien Kakule said. District official Leon Kakule Siviwe said that the recent surge in violence was due to the attackers taking advantage of a small security presence. Local civil society leader Justin Kavalami blamed members of the Allied Democratic Forces for the attack. According to Reuters, the death toll has risen to 41 following an attack on last Friday by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese army spokesman said, bringing the total toll in the region to more than 80 since Tuesday. The Allied Democratic Forces, which is also accused of being behind another village assault that killed at least 16 people earlier this week, was originally based in neighbouring Uganda. After spreading to the eastern DRC, it pledged allegiance to ISIL in 2018 and has mounted frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many armed groups are active.