The victims were killed in Ituri, by rebels of the armed group “Cooperative for the development of the Congo” (Codeco), considered as one of the deadliest groups in the East Congolese.
Le Monde with AFP
At least thirty-five people were killed on Sunday, May 8, by rebels of the armed group “Cooperative for the Development of the Congo” (Codeco) who attacked an artisanal gold mine in Ituri, in the North- is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, we learned from local authorities.
“The Codeco killed in the gold mine” Camp Blanquette “. There are 29 bodies brought back to the city of Pluto. Six charred bodies were buried on the spot,” said France-Presse agency (AFP) Jean-Pierre Bikilisende, bourgmestre of the rural commune of Mongwalu in the territory of Djugu (Ituri, northeast). “A 4 -month -old baby is among the dead. “This assessment is provisional, since there are other civilians killed whose bodies have been thrown into gold panning holes and several other civilians are missing. The excavation continues,” said Bikilisende.
a year of state of siege in the region
“” The blanquette camp “is erected in the forest, far from the nearest military position. The intervention has therefore arrived with a little delay,” he deplored. “There are also several injured, including nine seriously, admitted to Monggwalu General Hospital,” said Cherubin Kukundila, one of the civil society in Monggwalu, told AFP, believing that ‘”There are at least fifty people killed”.
The artisanal gold mine called “Camp Blanquette” is located in the forest more than 7 km from the city of Mongwalu in the territory of Djugu (Ituri), fief of the Armed Group Codeco. The Militia Codeco, which claims to defend members of the Lendu community against the Rival HEMA community and against the security forces, is considered one of the deadliest groups in the East Congolese. In addition to civilians and soldiers, CODECO militiamen also attack the displaced and humanitarian workers.
Ituri and the neighboring province of North Kivu have been placed under siege since May 6, 2021, a measure which gave full powers to the army and police officers to manage the administration and Conduct war against the hundred armed groups that have been in the East Congolese for more than a quarter of a century. After a year of state of siege, the authorities failed to put an end to the massacres of civilians.