The Democratic Republic of Congo is the biggest country in sub-Saharan Africa with an area rivaling the size of continental western Europe. Political turbulence, though, is a recurrent theme in its history. A general election is due on the 20th of December when the President Felix Tshisekedi is expected to seek a second term. But political tension is on the rise with opposition complaints of delays and alleged irregularities in the voter registration drive. In addition to this, the high cost of living and heightened insecurity is turning out to be a major headache. Mohammed Saleh gets you the details

World at War: Clashes between Congolese security forces and Protesters

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history.&nbsp;

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at &quot;at least 12&quot; Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence.&nbsp;

A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed.

The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources.&nbsp;

In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history.

&quot;I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime,&quot; Guterres said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else.&quot;

Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack.

The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.&nbsp;

The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene

Fourteen United Nations peacekeepers have been killed in clashes in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a UN official said on Friday -- the worst attack in the organisation`s recent history. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who put the death toll at "at least 12" Tanzanian peacekeepers, said another 40 were wounded in the violence. A UN official, who spoke anonymously, told AFP that 14 peacekeepers were killed. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, is believed to have been targeted by Ugandan Muslim rebel group ADF, one of several armed groups active in the North Kivu region, according to Congolese military sources. In a statement, Guterres said it was the worst attack on UN peacekeepers in the organisation`s recent history. "I condemn this attack unequivocally. These deliberate attacks against UN peacekeepers are unacceptable and constitute a war crime," Guterres said in a statement. "I call on the DRC authorities to investigate this incident and swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice. There must be no impunity for such assaults, here or anywhere else." Guterres said at least five Congolese soldiers were also killed in Thursday`s attack. The medical evacuation of causalities is ongoing, while military reinforcements have arrived on the scene.

14 UN peacekeepers killed, 40 injured in Congo

A soldier and 12 militants were killed Saturday in clashes in DR Congo&#39;s restive eastern North-Kivu province, the army said.

&quot;Twelve Mai-Mai and an officer from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo died in fighting that last nearly all of Saturday for control of the Kabasha area,&quot; army spokesman Lieutenant Jules Tshikudi told AFP.

The Mai-Mai are vigilante groups that run along ethnic lines. During the brutal Second Congo War between 1998 and 2003, numerous groups were armed by the government to fight against Ugandan or Rwandan forces, and some of them never disarmed.

Saturday&#39;s clashes broke out when Mai-Mai fighters attacked the army&#39;s position in Kabasha, Tshikudi said, without indicating their ethnicity. The army is now in control of the area, which civilians have fled, he added.

Kabasha lies 24 kilometres (15 miles) south of Beni, a city that has suffered a wave of violence since 2014 with nearly 700 civilians killed, many of them hacked to death.

Those killings have been blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces, a shadowy rebel group dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims who were initially focused on overthrowing Uganda&#39;s President Yoweri Museveni.

Six days ago, more than 900 inmates escaped during an attack on Beni&#39;s central prison by armed assailants who have yet to be identified by authorities.

The eastern DR Congo has been rocked by more than 20 years of armed conflict among both domestic and foreign armed groups, fuelled by struggle for control of lucrative mineral resources as well as ethnic and property disputes.

A soldier and 12 militants were killed Saturday in clashes in DR Congo's restive eastern North-Kivu province, the army said

A soldier and 12 militants were killed Saturday in clashes in DR Congo's restive eastern North-Kivu province, the army said. "Twelve Mai-Mai and an officer from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo died in fighting that last nearly all of Saturday for control of the Kabasha area," army spokesman Lieutenant Jules Tshikudi told AFP. The Mai-Mai are vigilante groups that run along ethnic lines. During the brutal Second Congo War between 1998 and 2003, numerous groups were armed by the government to fight against Ugandan or Rwandan forces, and some of them never disarmed. Saturday's clashes broke out when Mai-Mai fighters attacked the army's position in Kabasha, Tshikudi said, without indicating their ethnicity. The army is now in control of the area, which civilians have fled, he added. Kabasha lies 24 kilometres (15 miles) south of Beni, a city that has suffered a wave of violence since 2014 with nearly 700 civilians killed, many of them hacked to death. Those killings have been blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces, a shadowy rebel group dominated by hardline Ugandan Muslims who were initially focused on overthrowing Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni. Six days ago, more than 900 inmates escaped during an attack on Beni's central prison by armed assailants who have yet to be identified by authorities. The eastern DR Congo has been rocked by more than 20 years of armed conflict among both domestic and foreign armed groups, fuelled by struggle for control of lucrative mineral resources as well as ethnic and property disputes.

13 dead in eastern DR Congo clashes

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World at War: Clashes between Congolese security forces and Protesters

14 UN peacekeepers killed, 40 injured in Congo

13 dead in eastern DR Congo clashes