Antonio Guterres, UN chief

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is outraged by the continued killing and abduction of civilians by armed groups in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), his spokesman said on Monday.

Guterres condemned Saturday’s killing of at least 11 civilians, including one boy, as well as the injury and abduction of several more during an attack on a town on the outskirts of Beni, said Farhan Haq, the spokesman, in a statement.

The UN chief is also deeply troubled by reports that on Friday two Congolese health workers helping to combat the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu were killed in Butembo when armed militia attacked the Congolese army unit to which they were attached.

Guterres calls on all armed groups to immediately cease attacks against civilians and ensure humanitarian access to populations in need, said the statement.