DRC: new attacks in Ituri kill dozens
In the DRC, 41 people were killed last night by unidentified assailants in new attacks in the Djugu territory, more than 2,000 km from Kinshasa.
According to several sources, the attacks took place in at least three villages in the community of Bahema-North: Joe, Gbi, and Takpa. Each time, men armed with arrows, machetes, and rifles started burning houses before attacking villagers. The attacks reportedly killed between 39 and 41 people, according to sources. The victims were mostly from the Hema community.
As in the two previous attacks, this massacre targeted villages in Djugu territory, north of the capital of Bunia. The area has been in the grip of violence since December.
The killing took place while the Minister of the Interior has been in the area for several days. “If the violence continues even when the minister is there, what will happen after his departure,” worries the head of an NGO.
Residents are also wondering about the role of the security forces and their ability to protect people, while more than 200,000 people have already fled these attacks.
