© Amexis Huguet, AFP
Aerial photograph of the hills around the city of Bunia, the provincial capital of Ituri in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, taken on December 17, 2021.
At least 35 people were killed on Sunday when rebels from the armed group “Cooperative for the Development of Congo” (Codeco) attacked an artisanal gold mine in Ituri in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Codeco militia is considered one of the deadliest groups in eastern Congo.
At least 35 people were killed on Sunday, May 8, by rebels from the armed group “Cooperative for the Development of Congo” (Codeco) who attacked an artisanal gold mine in Ituri in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congowe learned from the local authorities.
“The Codecos killed in the ‘Camp Blanquette’ gold mine. There are 29 bodies brought back to the city of Pluto. Six charred bodies were buried on the spot,” Jean-Pierre Bikilisende, mayor, told AFP. of the rural municipality of Mungwalu in the territory of Djugu (Ituri, north-east).
“A 4-month-old baby” is among the dead. “This assessment is provisional, since there are other civilians killed whose bodies were thrown into gold panning holes and several other civilians are missing. The search continues,” said Jean-Pierre Bikilisende.
“‘Camp Blanquette’ is erected in the forest, far from the nearest military position. The intervention therefore arrived with a little delay”, he lamented.
One of the deadliest groups in eastern Congo
“There are also several wounded, including nine seriously, admitted to Mungwalu general hospital,” Chérubin Kukundila, one of Mungwalu’s civil society leaders, told AFP. “there are at least 50 people killed”.
The artisanal gold mine called “camp Blanquette” is located in the forest more than 7 km from the city of Mungwalu in the territory of Djugu (Ituri), stronghold of the armed group Codeco.
The Codeco militia, which claims to defend members of the Lendu community against the rival Hema community and against security forces, is considered one of the deadliest groups in eastern Congo. In addition to civilians and soldiers, Codeco militiamen also attack displaced persons and humanitarian workers.
Ituri and the neighboring province of North Kivu have been under a state of siege since May 6, 2021, a measure that has given full powers to army and police officers to manage the administration and wage war. against the hundreds of armed groups operating in eastern Congo for over a quarter of a century.
After a year of state of siege, the authorities have failed to put an end to the massacres of civilians.
With AFP
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