Sixteen (16) civilians had been killed over the weekend in Jap DR Congo’s troubled Ituri province by suspected CODECO militants.
This was disclosed by native sources on Monday.
16 Civilians Killed By Suspected Militants In East DR Congo
A civil society chief within the space, Charite Banza, stated the assault occurred early Sunday afternoon in Djugu territory.
He added that CODECO fighters torched homes in three separate villages and killed 16 individuals, noting that the loss of life toll was provisional.
A humanitarian employee within the space, who declined to be named, additionally stated 16 our bodies had been found within the wake of the assault.
Nonetheless, the Congolese military spokesman in Ituri, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, stated 4 civilians had been killed in Sunday’s clashes, in addition to one soldier and two militants.
Reviews say they might not independently affirm the loss of life toll.
Native human rights activist Need Mbutchu stated that CODECO fighters launched the assault on the rival Zaire militia on Sunday allegedly in revenge for the killing of a instructor from the Lendu group.
The Lendu and Hema communities have a long-standing feud that led to 1000’s of deaths between 1999 and 2003 earlier than an intervention by a European peacekeeping drive.
Violence resumed in 2017, blamed on the emergence of the CODECO militia, which claims to symbolize the Lendu.
The Zaire militia says it represents the Hema.
Representatives of CODECO (Cooperative for the Improvement of the Congo) attended latest peace talks in Kenya with a number of dozen armed teams working within the japanese Democratic Republic of Congo. Zaire militia members declined an invite to take part.
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