At least seven people have died in the troubled Congolese province of Kwilu, the scene in recent days of an upsurge in conflict between the Teke and Yaka communities that has spilled over from the neighboring province of Mai Ndombé, in the southwest of the country.
The attack occurred specifically in the village of Mayala, Bagata territory, where a woman and six men were killed in an attack blamed on the Yaka community, reported the territorial administrator, Joseph Mankoto, to the news portal Actualité.
The two communities have been fighting for years for control of the village of Kwamouth (Mai Ndombé) and its surroundings, but in recent days the Kwilu authorities have denounced a wave of Teke assaults in the province since the end of September which have left at least 40 dead and hundreds displaced.
In Kwamouth, according to official figures, at least 200 people have died and thousands more have been forced to flee their homes since the end of June.
This past Thursday the Congolese Army announced the capture of at least 37 assailants who had attacked communities in Bagata, including two women carrying children. During the operation, the military seized 16 firearms, 22 machetes and six arrows.
