An unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks, health experts say.

The latest fighting is part of a major escalation of a conflict over power, identity and resources dating back to the 1990s Rwandan genocide.

The defendants, most of them Congolese but also including a Briton, Belgian and Canadian, have five days to appeal the verdict on charges that included attempted coup.

On Tuesday, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency of continental concern for the first time ever.