Bunia : More than 35 civilians were killed in an attack by armed militants on several villages in Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on Monday evening, a local leader said on Tuesday.
Jean Vianney, head of the Djaiba group of villages in Djugu territory, said the attack began at around 8 p.m., during which militants executed residents and set houses on fire.
“We have counted more than 35 dead this morning, and the search is ongoing. There are injured people, and many died inside their burning homes,” he added.
According to Reuters, Jules Tsuba, a local civil society leader, said that the death toll had risen to 49 as of Tuesday morning, with searches for more victims still underway.
The attack was attributed to the CODECO militia, which has been accused of repeated assaults on local populations. The United Nations classifies it as one of the armed groups committing violations that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Vianney stated that the victims belonged to the Hema ethnic group, noting that Congolese forces and UN peacekeepers, despite being stationed just three kilometres away, did not intervene to stop the attack.
