Armed militants killed at least 35 civilians in a brutal attack on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with local officials warning the death toll is likely to rise as searches continue.
Jean Vianney, chief of the Djaiba group of villages in Djugu territory, Ituri province, said the assault began around 8 p.m. on Monday when CODECO fighters stormed the area, executing residents and torching homes.
“We have counted more than 35 dead this morning, and the search is ongoing. Many were burned alive in their homes,” Vianney told Reuters.
Floribert Byaruhanga, a Djugu MP, put the current toll at over 40, adding that “some people were shot, others were beheaded.” Civil society leader Jules Tsuba reported at least 49 bodies recovered so far, while a local resident, Daniel Kisembo, said he counted 51, many of them charred or decapitated. Another witness, Romeo Bahigwa, claimed to have seen 82 corpses.
CODECO, one of the many armed groups vying for control in eastern Congo, has been accused by the United Nations of committing potential war crimes, particularly against the Hema community, the predominant ethnic group in Djugu.
“The victims are from the Hema community,” Vianney confirmed, criticizing the lack of intervention from Congolese soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers stationed nearby.
Provincial army spokesman Jules Ngono said the military attempted to respond but arrived too late to prevent the slaughter.
“What happened in Djaiba is one of the deadliest attacks we’ve seen. We strongly condemn it,” he said.
A U.N. source told Reuters that peacekeepers had been dispatched on Sunday night to respond to another CODECO attack on a nearby displaced persons camp, leaving the villages vulnerable. The source estimated the death toll from Monday’s assault to be between 49 and 55.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission MONUSCO has yet to comment on the attack.
