BUNIA: Militia fighters have killed over 20 civilians in a village in the gold-rich Ituri province in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, locals said.
Local people blamed the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco) militia for the recent killings in the area. Codeco militia claims to be fighting for the interests of the Lendu tribe against the rival Hema tribe.
Matukadala, head of the Banyali Kilo administrative center said that Codeco militias attacked the village of Lodjo, where they killed 8 people and came back next day, the current death toll is around 36,”.
He stated the Congolese military “arrived too late” to stop the massacre in the area. However, a civil society leader told on condition of anonymity that for now, there are 28 dead and a huge displacement of the population. Some sources put the number of dead around 23. Gold miners, children and women were also killed in the attack.
Inter-communal violence had killed thousands in Ituri from 1999-2003 until an intervention by European forces restored peace and calm. The violence erupted again in 2017, resulting in thousands more deaths and the huge displacement of local population.
