BUNIA, DRC, March 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 166 people have been killed in the fighting following inter-ethnic clashes in Ndjugu, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), since last December, said a military report issued Sunday.
In the report, military authorities in Ituri province said the figure includes nine troops and three policemen killed by attackers since conflict erupted in December.
The army also said 1,700 houses have been torched in more than 40 localities. According to the report, February was the most violent with massive displacements reported.
Conflicts have hit several parts of Ituri, where Hema and Lendu tribes have had tense relations for decades, with land issues being a main cause of conflicts.
Fighting between the two ethnic groups between 2000-2006 led to the death of more than 60,000 people and burning of thousands of houses.
The UN mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) expressed concern Wednesday in Kinshasa on the current tension in Ndjugu, and called for a joint effort between communities and authorities to quickly end hostilities.
