against the state into ethnic violence. Most of the rebels were Luba and Lulua, and they reportedly targeted the Pende and the Chokwe. On 24 March 2017, militiamen reportedly killed and decapitated at least 40 policemen and spared six, who spoke the local Tshiluba language. The Bana Mura militia, a group dominated by Chokwe, Pende, and Tetela, committed a string of ethnically-motivated attacks against the Luba and Lulua. It was linked to the government and victims stated that the army and police accompanied it in attacks. It was reported to have committed atrocities such as cutting off toddlers' limbs, stabbing pregnant women and mutilating fetuses, and it was blamed for the murder of 49 minors in 2017. Child soldiers The Kamwina Nsapu militia recruited thousands of child soldiers, with some being as young as 5, and Congolese authorities claimed that many in its ranks were under the influence of drugs. Slavery The UN Human Rights Council denounced "slavery-like" practices on parts of Bana Mura militants who were involved in fighting the rebellion. They kidnapped civilians and consequently used them for forced labor on farms. Casualties Between October 2016 and June 2017, more than 3,300 people had been killed and 20 villages had been completely destroyed, half of them by government troops, according to the Catholic Church. International reactions On 11 February 2017, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) said in a statement that it was "concerned about the persistent conflict in the Kasais". It condemned the "recruitment and use of child soldiers" and "the disproportionate use of force" by the Congolese forces in retaliation. In his angelus message on 16 February 2017, Pope Francis called for an end to the violence, especially the use of child soldiers. He said, "I suffer deeply for the victims, especially for so many children ripped from their families and their schools to be used as soldiers." On 19 February 2017, Mark C. Toner, the Deputy Spokesperson of the US Department of State called for an investigation into the video of the alleged Mwanza Lomba massacre. On 20 February 2017, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development also called for an investigation into the video. In an official statement, it said, "France condemns the bloody violence which has rocked the Kasai region for several months. It calls on the Congolese authorities and security forces to