More than 150 people were killed last week in fighting between government troops and armed groups in the Equateur province of Democratic Republic of Congo, Reuters quoted the U.N. mission in the central African country as saying Sunday. U.N.-backed Radio Okapi said 157 insurgents and one soldier from the Congolese army, known as the FARDC, were killed in and around the town of Inyele between Dec. 31 and Jan 1. Inyele is 65 km (40 miles) from Dongo, in the northwest of the country, where ethnic violence erupted in late October. "Information received from peacekeepers indicate fierce fighting between FARDC and armed elements," Lt Col Jean-Paul Dietrich, military spokesman for U.N. force MONUC told Reuters. "It was reported that 157 armed elements were killed. FARDC reportedly suffered several casualties," he said, adding the Congolese army had taken control of Inyele.
