About 50 people were killed on Sunday in an attack by militiamen from the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) group in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local sources have learned. and safe.
At least 50 bodies of victims were found in Blakete village, in Djugu territory of Ituri province (northeast), after the tragedy which lasted several hours, according to security and hospital sources. Several seriously injured were also taken to the general referral hospital in the city of Mongwalu, about 100 kilometers from the city of Bunia, capital of Ituri province, health authorities in the area said. .
The militiamen first attacked a camp for displaced people where they killed a large number of people before attacking the inhabitants of the area and taking several people hostage to take them to the bush, a source told Xinhua. security wishing to remain anonymous.
Having confirmed this attack by the militiamen in this area, the DRC army claimed to have deployed reinforcements in the region to pursue the militiamen and search for the people taken hostage.
The provinces of Ituri and North Kivu have been placed under siege by the government since last May to counter the rise in violence by armed groups.