Congo: At least 18 people killed by rebels in attack on camp shelters in Ituri

At least 18 people were killed by armed rebels who attacked camp shelters for displaced people in the eastern part of Congo. The country's army informed on Monday that militiamen from the Cooperative for Development of the Congo (CODECO) had raided and attacked two villages in the Ituri region. Local officials and a group that monitors violence in the area claim that the death toll ranges from 18 to 29, AP reported. 

As per the Kivu Security Tracker group, the large majority of people who have been killed by CODECO militiamen hailed from the villages of Drodro and Mba/Dongo and were civilians. The group stated that they confirmed the death toll to be 29 after they had interviewed people in the region. It had previously said that the toll was 107 but later clarified that this information was incorrect. 

Willy Pilo Mulindro, the chief of the adjoining North Behma district, said that the attack caused extensive material damage and the death toll is preliminary. He went on to say that those who were searching for bodies fled the sounds of bullets, AP reported. "They have not yet returned to the scene because of what was done," Mulindro added. Furthermore, according to civil society activist, Charite Banza, approximately 22 dead bodies have been discovered and the Catholic Church in Drodro has been plundered. 

Over 2 million people displaced in Congo in 2020

Meanwhile, conflict in Eastern Congo has increased during recent weeks, AP reported, aggravating the country's displacement crisis as tens of thousands of people abandon their communities to seek refuge in camps. Several civilians reside in Bunia in makeshift dwellings or tents made of plastic and cloths in a camp set up in the Ituri region's capital.  

As per an estimate, nearly 16,000 people escaping the conflict have taken refuge at a nearby facility guarded by UN forces, according to the UN peacekeeping operation in Congo. The displacement is the result of years of bloodshed and conflict between rebel groups and Congolese security forces.  

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre stated that two million people were displaced in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the year 2020, which made it the nation with the maximum fresh displacements due to war in the world, AP reported. Over five million individuals have been internally displaced inside the DRC, while another million have abandoned the nation. In addition to this, the Norwegian Refugee Council reported that one in every twelve individuals in the Democratic Republic of Congo needs humanitarian help. 

(Image: AP/Representative)