A rebel group killed 42 people on Friday in Ituri province in eastern Congo. A civil society organization gave this information.
Rebels set fire to many houses
Dudonne Losa, head of the organization in Banyari Kilo, said three towns in the Djugu region were attacked by the Codeco militia group. During this, they burned many houses. “Seven other people have been injured and have yet to receive assistance.” Banyari Kilo is the area where the attack took place. On Friday, the army acknowledged the incident to local media and said it was looking for the offenders.
Codeco killed 32 people in February
CODECO (a federation of various ethnic Lendu militia groups) has been fighting JARE (a predominantly ethnic Hema self-defense group) since 2017, but the situation has lately deteriorated. Local officials said Codeco fighters killed 32 civilians in February.
Insurgent group expanding its territories
In December last year, the UN said the rebel group was expanding the areas under its control. Attacking civilians and members of the Congolese military and taxing communities in the territories it occupies.
Decades of conflict in Eastern Congo
The killings come amid rising violence in eastern Congo, where the conflict has raged for decades. There are around 120 armed factions in the region, most of which are battling for control of important mineral-rich territory and mines, while others are attempting to defend their villages.