10 civilians are killed by militia in eastern Congo

In a midnight attack on a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, the CODECO militia killed ten civilians, according to the chief of local administration and a civil society leader on Tuesday.

A multitude of militias are engaged in a struggle for land and resources in eastern Congo, including CODECO. It has been accused by the United Nations of attacks against other communities, such as Hema herdsmen, in the past, which could be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In a village in Djugu territory, where the majority of residents are from the Hema community, fighters of the armed group entered at approximately midnight and killed 10 individuals in two households, according to civil society leader Jules Tsuba and administration chief Jean Marie Mateso.

Mateso disclosed to Reuters that the CODECO militia severed the skulls of several victims and breached their bodies.

“There is now strong frustration here as there are many rumors that other villages will be attacked,” said the official. According to Mateso, the murders occurred in close proximity to a Congolese military post.

On the morning of Tuesday, Tsuba stated that the bodies were still lying on the ground.