At least 69 people have been killed in a series of militia attacks in Ituri province in the conflict-hit northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, local and security sources told AFP.
The violence, which occurred on April 28 in several villages, was carried out by armed men linked to the Codeco militia, according to the sources. The group claims to defend the Lendu ethnic community in the long-running conflict in the gold-rich province.
The attacks reportedly came in response to earlier clashes involving the rival Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), which says it represents the Hema community, and Congolese army positions near Pimbo.
Security sources said the death toll included civilians as well as militia members and soldiers, with at least 19 fighters among the dead. A civil society leader, Dieudonne Losa, put the total fatalities at more than 70 in the broader cycle of retaliatory violence.
Recovery efforts have been slow due to the continued presence of armed fighters in the area, with some bodies reportedly left uncollected for days. Humanitarian workers described scenes of bodies scattered around affected villages, including Bassa.
The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, MONUSCO, said it had earlier evacuated nearly 200 people caught in crossfire and condemned the latest wave of deadly attacks against civilians.
Ituri province, which sits in the mineral-rich eastern region bordering Uganda and South Sudan, has long been affected by armed conflict involving multiple groups, including the Codeco militia, CRP fighters, and the Allied Democratic Forces.
The area is also grappling with a deep humanitarian crisis, with nearly one million people displaced according to UN figures, as repeated cycles of ethnic violence and militia attacks continue to destabilise the region.
