Congo: Militias force thousands to flee

Gangs of militia have attacked five villages in south-eastern Congo, raping girls as young as eight and forcing more than 1,000 people to flee, a UN official said today.

Gunmen from the Mayi-Mayi militia attacked the villages in Katanga province over the past two weeks, burning houses, looting crops and raping 15 women and girls, said Anne Edgerton, an official with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.