Congo (DRC)

More than 1,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 900,000 displaced in eastern Congo (DRC) by Rwandan Hutu militiamen and Congolese forces since January, a coalition of 84 humanitarian organizations said Oct. 13, noting that many of the killings were carried out by Rwandan Hutu militiamen. Government soldiers also have targeted civilians, they said. A Congolese military operation has been aimed at forcing out the Hutu militiamen, many of whom participated in Rwanda's 1994 genocide. The groups said the UN-backed military operation is not doing enough to protect civilians in the region. "The human rights and humanitarian consequences of the current military operation are simply disastrous," said Marcel Stoessel of Oxfam. (AP)