Attackers from the group Allied Democratic Forces carried out a series of attacks against the local population in the province of Ituri between Wednesday and Friday, says John Vulverio of the New Civil Society in Congo. Some of the victims were attacked while working in the fields.
– The number of people killed is preliminary, as we do not yet know the fate of the 20 who were abducted, says Vulverio.
The mother and sister of a local politician were among those abducted, local media reports.
Dozens of villages in Congo are besieged by armed groups, both rebels fighting for power and valuable mineral resources and militant groups with extremist ideologies.
Allied Democratic Forces are behind an increasing number of attacks in the region and sometimes cross the border into Uganda, where the group was originally formed.
The violence in the Congo has led to one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises, with over 7 million displaced. Many of them it is not possible to get help for.
The government in Congo has asked the UN to withdraw a peacekeeping force of 15,000 because, after more than two decades, it has not been able to end the conflict with the rebels in the country. The withdrawal must be completed during the year.
#killed #abducted #attacks #Congo
2024-08-19 23:21:42
