JOHANNESBURG – Two bodies found in Congo were those of U.N. experts investigating alleged human rights abuses, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed.
The remains of U.S. citizen Michael Sharp and Swedish citizen Zaida Catalan were discovered by U.N. peacekeepers outside Kananga on Monday, he said. The two had gone missing on March 12.
Guterres said four Congolese had accompanied Sharp and Catalan, urging the government to search for them. One other body was found with those of the two U.N. staffers.
The region has seen increasing violence between the Kamwina Nsapu militia and security forces since the traditional chief heading the militia, who wanted state presence removed from the area, was killed in fighting in August.
Hundreds have been killed and 200,000 displaced, according to the U.N. The U.N. Human Rights Council has reported at least 10 mass graves in the region. The army and the militia have both been accused of massacres.
