Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, CODECO, militants, in the most recent strike to hit the unrest-ridden region, reportedly killed seven civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo on Sunday, according to local officials.
According to a local Red Cross volunteer, CODECO militiamen attacked an army position on Saturday night in the Mahagi territory in the Ituri province’s Djukoth region.
One of the most violent regions in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is the province of Ituri, where attacks routinely result in the deaths of dozens of people.
According to the official, who wished to remain unnamed, seven civilians were killed close to the location. The victims included two women and five children.
Innocent Wabekudu, a community leader in Mahagi, also said that CODECO fighters had “savagely killed” seven people, who were buried on Sunday.
Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, a spokesman for the Congolese army’s military operations in Ituri, was unavailable to comment on specifics of the attack at the time.
The eastern DR Congo, which is rich in minerals, has been plagued by armed groups for three decades as a result of local conflicts that erupted in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Lendu community is said to be protected by the CODECO, from the Hema and the DRC army.