Thousands of women are demonstrating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Beni, calling on the army and United Nations peacekeepers to stop deadly rebel attacks in the region.
Colonel Richard Kazingufu, commander of Beni's police, says about 10 000 women marched peacefully on Friday, a larger crowd than the day before. He says the women are handing a petition to the mayor and the UN mission.
The president of Beni's women's league, Zawadi Masika, says the demonstrations show the discontent over recent massacres in Beni. She says too many lives have been lost, with 1 500 people killed over four years.
The women say they want DRC's army and UN peacekeepers to hunt down and stop Allied Democratic Forces rebels who are staging the attacks.