Democratic Republic of Congo central Tshikapa region, the deputy governor of Kasai province said on Monday.

Fighting from Friday to Sunday between police and troops on the one hand and members of a local militia on the other left "13 dead and 14 injured among security forces and killed 10 militia" fighters, Hubert Mbingho N'Vula said on state television.

The fighting was due to rivalry between the newly named traditional chief and his uncle, who came to oust his nephew and seize power.

"(The uncle) resorted to raising a militia, N'Vula said, adding that 13 security forces and 18 militiamen had been killed. Public order has since been restored," he said.

More than a decade after a 1996-2003 war that killed millions, the mineral-rich country remains a tinderbox of armed groups and ethnic militias.

--Reuters--

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