Around the World: Congo

Civilian toll high

A UN-backed Congolese military operation to oust rebels from eastern Congo has caused more civilian casualties than damage to rebels, with more than 1,400 people deliberately killed over a nine-month period, human rights groups said yesterday.

Human Rights Watch said it documented the killings by soldiers and rebels between January and September. And the group said health centers have registered more than 7,500 cases of sexual attacks on women and girls - more than twice the number registered during a full-scale war between the government and rebels at the end of 2008.