The United Nations has said that three mass graves have been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where hundreds of people have been killed since July in clashes between security forces and local militia.
U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein urged the U.N. human rights council in Geneva to set up an inquiry “in light of recurrent reports of grave violations and the recent discovery of three more mass graves”.
At least 400 people have been killed and 200,000 others displaced since the eruption of the fighting between the country’s secutiry forces and the Kamuina Nsapu militia.
The police killed the militia group’s leader Kamuina Nsapu in August causing the violence to escalate further.
Zeid gave no additional details about the graves during his remarks to the council, which touched on the human rights situations in dozens of countries. The U.N. rights office in Congo could not immediately provide further details.
Congo’s government has said it is investigating allegations of rights abuses, including a video last month that appeared to show Congolese troops massacring militia members. However, it has dismissed offers of support from the U.N. rights office in Congo, which it accuses of bias.
