[JURIST] The Congolese government Friday denied allegations by Amnesty International [advocacy website] that roughly 65 civilians were being detained and possibly tortured in the southeastern province of Katanga [Wikipedia entry]. The human rights organization said that the detainees were accused by the government of involvement in a succession plot to control resource-rich Katanga. Government spokesman Henri Mova Sakanyi admitted that 35 people had been arrested but denied that any had been tortured or mistreated and said that only 8 remained incarcerated, to face charges of trying to "organize independence." With a wealth of copper and cobalt reserves, Katanga has been a hotbed of secessionist movements since Congo's independence in 1960. Reuters has more.