At Least 69 Killed in DR Congo Militia Attack

At least 69 people, the vast majority of them civilians, were killed by gunmen tied to the CODECO militia in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, security sources reported. The attack, which occurred in late April in the gold-rich Ituri province bordering Uganda, marks the latest in a prolonged wave of violence that has plagued the region for years.

The massacre was carried out by the CODECO militia, according to sources cited by AFP. Recovery of the victims was delayed for several days due to the security situation on the ground, as militia members remained active in the area, the same sources added.

Conflicting Casualty Figures

While security sources put the death toll at 69, Dieudonné Lusa, a civil society leader in Ituri, told AFP that the preliminary count "exceeds 70 dead." The discrepancy highlights the chaotic aftermath of the assault.

Ethnic and Militia Dynamics

CODECO claims to defend the rights of the Lendu ethnic group, whose members are primarily farmers, particularly against the Hema ethnic group, which is largely pastoral. Another armed group active in the province, the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), says it fights to protect Hema interests.

Other armed factions operate in the region as well, most notably the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), formed by former Ugandan rebels who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group. Since 2021, the Ugandan army has been deployed alongside the Congolese military in northern North Kivu and Ituri to combat the ADF.

At times, the Congolese army has used the CODECO militia as an auxiliary force.