Congo forces backed deadly militia violence, report says

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) - A human rights group says Congo's security forces and an allied militia carried out attacks that killed hundreds in the central Kasai region in an effort to destroy populations associated with those opposing President Joseph Kabila's government.

The International Federation for Human Rights report released Wednesday is based on testimonies collected from Congolese who fled to Angola during what has been called one of the world's most overlooked crises.

The report says the Congolese-backed militia rampaged through a hospital in one village, killing more than 100 patients including pregnant women. A dozen villages were targeted during months of violence earlier this year.

The unrest in the once-peaceful Kasai region since August 2016 has widened to reflect tensions over Kabila's stay in office beyond his mandate as presidential elections are delayed.