More than 45 civilian killed in a militia attack on a camp for displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

According to the United Nations’ peacekeeping mission, more than 45 civilians were killed in an attack by a militia on a camp for displaced people in the Ituri province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday. The attack was carried out by the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, one of several militias operating in the conflict-ridden region, as stated by the MONUSCO mission.

CODECO claims to be defending the interests of Lendu farmers, who have been in conflict with Hema herders for a long time. The group has been responsible for killing hundreds of civilians in Ituri province and displacing thousands, according to the United Nations.

MONUSCO reported that over 45 people were killed and at least 10 were wounded in the attack. The mission has coordinated with provincial authorities to enhance security in the area.

The U.N. refugee agency stated that armed assailants, using guns and machetes, killed women and children in the attack. At least 12 people were burned alive after their shelters were set on fire.

Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo Tshikudi condemned the attack as an act of sabotage against peace restoration efforts and mentioned that investigations were underway.

The chief of the Bahema Badjere district, Jean Richard Lenga, reported that militiamen massacred 46 people with knives and firearms and burned others in their homes within the camp. The authorities are still searching for bodies, and many people have sought refuge in the nearby town of Bule.

According to the U.N. humanitarian office (OCHA), around 70,000 displaced people arrived in Bule between April 15 and May 15 due to armed violence in the surrounding areas. Ituri is currently hosting approximately 1.7 million internally displaced people.

Charite Banza, the head of a civil rights group, mentioned that the attack occurred a few days after a dialogue between armed groups in Ituri. Banza expressed the ongoing insecurity in the region and stated that the victims’ bodies would be buried in a mass grave.

CODECO has previously targeted displacement camps, including a deadly attack on another camp near Bule last year where around 60 people were killed.