More than 14 people were killed after a militia church attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Sunday.
The militia group, Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), attacked the worshippers during prayers in a church on Sunday in the province of Ituri, eastern Congo.
According to a local official on Monday, at least 14 people were confirmed dead after the attack.
Congo Civil Society leader Dieudonne Lossa and Djugu territory administrator Ruphin Mapela affirmed that CODECO, one of the several militia groups operating in the region, was responsible for the church attack.
Lossa said, “The victims were praying to the Lord, but unfortunately, militiamen identified as CODECO opened fire on them.”
They stated that nine civilians, four militia members, and an armed officer were killed.
Mapela explained that militants had attacked Mesa, Cepac, and Aumopro churches sited near the shore of Lake Albert in the Bahema-Nord chiefdom, all in Congo.
Army spokesman Jules Ngongo Tshikudi said, “We call on the population to remain calm as the armed forces pursue these criminals to put them out of action.”
The CODECO militia group claims to fight for the stakes of Lendu farmers, who have been in yearlong conflict with Hema herders.
Last month, armed groups attacked people in the Ituri region of Congo, claiming at least 40 lives over the course of three days.
Attacks and raids by the CODECO have further worsened the long period of humanitarian crisis in Ituri province.
Reports say another rebel group in the region, the Allied Defense Forces, ADF, has killed at least 55 individuals in the previous two weeks.
The United Nations says that over 3 million people are in dire need of aid due to the conflict in Congo.
In the first quarter of 2023, the UN and its partners supported 460,000 people in Ituri, but a representative said the UN humanitarian response plan for the DRC is only 30 percent funded.
“We urge the international community to stand in solidarity with the people of the DRC and provide the support needed to address this spiraling humanitarian crisis,” said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general.
