UN rights chief wants action on DR Congo army killings

The United Nations' top human rights official has called on the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to take action to curb human rights violations by the country's army.

On the final day of a visit to the DR Congo, Michelle Bachelet told UN radio that figures from her organisation's peace-keeping mission showed the military and what she called agents of the state were behind more than half of the violations.

She said there had been 19 extra-judicial executions in November alone.

However, Ms Bachelet said the total number of human rights abuses by the state and rebel forces over the past year was slightly down.