At least 69 people have been killed in an attack by armed rebels in Ituri province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Security officials said fighters from the CODECO militia carried out coordinated assaults on several villages in the conflict-hit region.
Local and security sources said the attacks took place on 28 April and followed earlier clashes involving rival armed groups in the area. The violence is linked to long-running ethnic tensions between the Hema and Lendu communities, which have fuelled conflict in the mineral-rich province.
Civil society leaders said more than 70 people were initially killed in retaliatory fighting, while other sources put the confirmed death toll at least 69, including militia members and soldiers. Humanitarian workers reported bodies scattered in affected villages, with some remains yet to be recovered.
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The United Nations mission in the country condemned the attacks and urged protection for civilians in eastern DR Congo, where multiple armed groups, including CODECO, ADF and M23, continue to operate amid ongoing instability.
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