The death toll from a militia attack in the city of Bunia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo rose to 25 on Sunday.
According to reports, the attack was carried out on Saturday in Galayi village in the Ituri Province by the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, one of the numerous militias operating in the conflict-ridden east.
The United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) condemned the attacks in a report released in March, stating that the attacks by CODECO in Ituri have caused human rights violations and destabilised the communities.
The majority of civilian deaths in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are attributed to CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), another militia organization, according to a March report from the U.N. peacekeeping operation.
CODECO conducts more attacks, the state of human rights in Ituri has gotten worse since the year’s beginning.
In a statement to the press, a local chief confirmed that fifteen bodies were discovered on Sunday, in addition to 10 bodies recovered on Saturday.
The spokesperson for the governor of Ituri province, Jules Ngongo, confirmed the attack and the initial death toll of 10 civilians.
“We assure that all the killers will be punished by justice,” Ngongo said.