Congolese soldier kills 3 colleagues during altercation in the conflict-hit east

BUKAVU, Congo (AP) — A Congolese soldier shot and killed two of his colleagues while a third died of critical injuries in an altercation in the country’s east that left others wounded, local officials said Tuesday.

The soldiers in Mungazi in the province of North Kivu, a town close to the frontline of the military’s fight with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, had recently received their paychecks when an argument escalated into violence late Monday evening, according to Fiston Misona Tabashile, president of the civil society of Walikale, the area’s principal town.

Maj. Nestor Mavudisa, Congolese military spokesperson, said eight wounded soldiers were being treated, adding that those involved in the altercation would be punished.

“The perpetrators have been apprehended and are in custody,” said Mavudisa, urging locals to “go about their business freely.”

Jean Kokwe, a local miner, said many thought M23 rebels were behind the shooting.

“It was only afterward that some people who were there told us that it was Congolese military soldiers who had received their pay,” he said.

M23 is one of about 100 armed groups that have been vying for a foothold in mineral-rich eastern Congo near the border with Rwanda, in a conflict that has created one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises.

Congo’s military is overstretched in its fight against M23 rebels in the east.