Government officials said two mass graves were discovered in eastern Congo containing as many as 2,000 bodies.
Justice Minister Luzolo Bambi said the graves were found Saturday in Bukavu town in a plot of land formerly owned by a member of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a Rwandan-backed rebel group.
The RCD once controlled much of eastern Congo, but it became a political party in 2003. Many of its top leaders were integrated into the government.
The new landowner discovered the remains when he dug up the land to put in a septic tank.
The discovery came as eastern Congo neared on the brink of war, with a different rebel group fighting government forces. Bukavu has not been touched by the latest round of violence.
Check back later for more details on this developing story.
