Bunia: More than 51 civilians lost their lives in a violent assault by armed militants on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local authorities and civil society representatives. Officials warn that the number of casualties could rise further.
The attack, which took place late Monday night, targeted the Djaiba group of villages in Ituri province’s Djugu territory. Fighters from the CODECO militia reportedly set homes ablaze while residents were trapped inside, fired indiscriminately at villagers, and used machetes to carry out brutal killings.
The previous night, the same group of militants attempted to storm a nearby camp for internally displaced people but was repelled by U.N. peacekeepers from the MONUSCO mission. However, during Monday's assault, neither Congolese soldiers nor U.N. forces intervened in time to prevent the massacre, village chief Jean Vianney confirmed.
"There are many injured, and several people were burned alive in their homes," he said, adding that the total number of victims is still being determined.
Floribert Byaruhanga, a Djugu territory lawmaker, reported that at least 51 people, including 18 children, had been killed. A civil society group in Ituri also confirmed the same death toll. Survivor Daniel Kisembo described a horrific scene, recounting that he counted 51 bodies, many of them burned beyond recognition.
CODECO, one of the many militias fighting for control over land and resources in eastern Congo, has been notorious for targeting displacement camps and local communities. The group has previously been accused by the United Nations of committing potential war crimes and crimes against humanity, particularly against the Hema community, which forms the majority population in Djugu.
Jules Ngono, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, said troops attempted to intervene but arrived too late. "What happened in the Djaiba group is a tragedy, and we strongly condemn it," he stated.
U.N. mission spokesman Jean-Tobie Okala acknowledged that peacekeepers were able to protect the displaced persons camp but noted the challenges they face when militants attack in overwhelming numbers. "Their numbers were too large for us to stop them completely," he said.
