Ten civilians were killed in a midnight attack by the CODECO militia on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, the head of local administration and a civil society leader said on Tuesday.
CODECO is one of a myriad of militias fighting over land and resources in east Congo. It has been accused in the past by the United Nations of attacks against other communities including Hema herders that could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
At around midnight, fighters of the armed group entered a village in Djugu territory, where the majority of residents are from the Hema community, and killed 10 people in two households, according to administration head Jean Marie Mateso and civil society leader Jules Tsuba.
CODECO militia cut off the heads of some of the victims and cut open their bodies, Mateso told Reuters.
“There is now strong frustration here as there are many rumours that other villages will be attacked,” He said. Mateso said the killings took place not far from a Congolese military position.
Tsuba said that the bodies were still lying on the ground on Tuesday morning.
