Goma - At least 22 people have been killed after
soldiers and members of a militia group clashed in the town of Beni
in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the army says.
Among the dead were 20 fighters of the Mai-Mai militia and two
soldiers, regional army spokesman Mak Hazukay said late on Saturday.
The clashes ensued when the army tried to eliminate two Mai-Mai
positions in Beni on Thursday, according to Hazukay.
The Mai-Mai are community-based militia groups, formed to defend
their local territory against the numerous rebel groups active in
eastern Congo, primarily fighting over the area's rich mineral
resources.
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