Congo: Militants Killed 59 People With Guns, Machetes During Attack On Displacement Camp
On February 2, around 60 people were killed and dozens others were wounded when militias attacked the Plaine Savo displacement camp in the eastern Congolese province of Ituri.
A spokesman for the Congolese military said that the attack was carried out by the CODECO militia. According to the spokesman, the Congolese troops came into contact with CODECO militants a day before the attack. However, they changed direction and got past them to reach the camp.
CODECO is a loose association of various Lendu militia groups operating mainly in Ituri. Several of the militias that claim CODECO affiliation stand accused of massacres and war crimes by United Nations officials.
The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) revealed in a statement that the militants had attacked people in the camp with guns and machetes.
“Initial reports indicate that as many as 59 civilians were killed and a further 40 injured,” the statement reads.
The Plaine Savo displacement camp is home to 24,000 people, only a fraction of more than 1.7 million displaced in Ituri. According to the NRC, at least 1,200 civilians were killed in the province as a result of similar attacks during 2021. The Congolese military is yet to take decisive action.
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