Rwandan militias attacked a camp for displaced people in eastern Congo, opening fire on a crowd and killing six civilians, the U.N. said Thursday, the AP reported.
At least 20 others were wounded in the attack Wednesday at Kinyandonyi, a rural area located in the hilly east Congo district of Rutshuru near the Rwanda border, the U.N. said.
The U.N. called the attack a "terrorist act" Thursday and said such violence constituted war crimes or crimes against humanity. The world body said those responsible must face justice.
Rwandan militias have lived in the fertile and mineral-rich region for years, preying on local populations and the villagers' resources - from cattle to gold - to survive.
Many of the militia members had participated in the 1994 Rwandan genocide and fled to Congo after the killings.
The U.N., as well as the Rwandan and Congolese armies, have failed to eradicate the militias despite repeated threats to do so.
Many militia members live freely in remote forested areas where few government security forces operate. In recent months, they have openly controlled territory and patrolled roads with arms in military uniforms.
The U.N. has about 18,000 peacekeepers in Congo to help contain violence in the wake of the country's 1998-2002 civil war.