At least 60 people killed in militia attack in eastern Congo
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Loading... - Deborah Safari
- 02 Feb 2022
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At least 60 people were killed in a militia attack on Wednesday morning at the Savo displaced persons' in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province, the head of a local humanitarian group and a witness told Reuters.
Both sources told Reuters that the CODECO militia was responsible for the killings at about 0200 GMT at the Savo camp near Bule in Ituri province.
Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo confirmed the attack by CODECO and gave a provisional toll of about 20 dead.
Congolese troops came into contact with the militia Tuesday night but the assailants changed direction and got past them to reach the camp, he said.
CODECO is one of an array of militias operating in eastern Congo amid longstanding tensions over land and resources. Its fighters have killed hundreds of civilians in Ituri and forced thousands to flee their homes, according to the United Nations.
In recent months it has targeted displacement camps, where some people had settled after fleeing other attacks by CODECO.
"I first heard cries when I was still in bed. Then several minutes of gunshots. I fled and I saw torches and people crying for help and I realized it was the CODECO militiamen who had invaded our site," said Lokana Bale Lussa, a camp resident.
"We have counted more than 60 dead and (more) seriously injured," he said. "We really need security because we can't access our farms and now we're pursued even in our camps."
Charite Banza Bavi, president of the humanitarian group for the Bahema-North area, put the death toll at 63. Read More…
