In the eastern Congolese province of Ituri, at least 14 individuals were reportedly killed on Sunday when a militia attacked worshippers who were praying in a church, as confirmed by a local official and a civil society leader on Monday.
The attack was carried out by the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, which is one of several militias operating in the conflict-ridden eastern region, revealed Djugu territory administrator Ruphin Mapela and civil society leader Dieudonne Lossa.
Lossa expressed, “The victims were praying to the Lord, but unfortunately, militiamen identified as CODECO opened fire on them.”
According to both officials, a total of 9 civilians, 4 assailants, and 1 soldier lost their lives during the incident.
Mapela added that the militants attacked three churches named Mesa, Cepac, and Aumopro, which are situated near Lake Albert in the Bahema-Nord chiefdom.
“We call on the population to remain calm as the armed forces pursue these criminals to put them out of action,” expressed Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo Tshikudi.
CODECO claims to be defending the interests of Lendu farmers who have long been in conflict with Hema herders.
The CODECO raids have aggravated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ituri province, where around 3 million individuals are desperately in need of assistance, as stated by a U.N. humanitarian agency.
(Reporting by Erikas Mwisi; Writing by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Sharon Singleton, and Grant McCool)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
