UN peacekeepers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo have found dozens of bodies in mass graves. The discovery comes after a series of attacks by armed groups in the region of Ituri.

A UN spokesman, Farhan Haq, said the bodies of 42 people including women and children had been discovered in the village of Nyamamba, and a further seven men in the village of Mbogi.

The peacekeepers had launched patrols in the area after reports of attacks by Codeco militias.