At least 69 people have been killed in a series of militia attacks in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to local officials and security sources.
The killings took place in Ituri Province, a gold-rich region that has been plagued by armed conflict for decades. The province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan, has long been at the centre of violent clashes between the Hema and Lendu communities.
Eastern DR Congo has remained unstable for more than 30 years, with numerous armed groups battling for control of lucrative mineral resources, including gold, cobalt, copper, uranium and diamonds.
Codeco Fighters Launch Deadly Attacks In Ituri Villages
Local and security sources told AFP that armed men linked to the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (Codeco) attacked several villages on April 28, killing at least 69 people.
Codeco, a militia that says it defends the Lendu community, carried out the assaults following an earlier attack by the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP). The CRP, which claims to represent the Hema community, had reportedly targeted positions held by the Congolese army (FARDC) near the locality of Pimbo.
Civil society leader Dieudonne Losa said the retaliatory attacks left more than 70 people dead.
“Only 25 bodies have been buried,” Losa said Saturday, adding several sets of remains had yet to be recovered.
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Two security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the attacks. One source said the death toll included 19 militia fighters and soldiers.
The same sources said the continued presence of Codeco combatants prevented the recovery of bodies for several days.
A humanitarian source described bodies “strewn on the ground” near the village of Bassa, one of the communities hit in the violence.
MONUSCO Condemns Rising Civilian Killings In Eastern DR Congo
The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo said on April 30 that it had rescued “nearly 200 people caught under fire” during the CRP assault on FARDC positions.
On Saturday, the UN mission said it “strongly condemns the recent wave of deadly attacks targeting civilians” in the troubled eastern region.
The Ente association, a non-profit organisation representing the Hema community, described the killings as a “massacre” and urged members to refrain from retaliatory acts.
Thomas Lubanga-Linked CRP Resurgence Fuels Ituri Violence
Ituri has experienced a renewed rise in activity by the CRP since early 2025. The group was founded by Thomas Lubanga, who was convicted by the International Criminal Court in 2012 for recruiting child soldiers.
Lubanga was released in 2020 after completing his sentence.
Clashes involving the CRP, the Congolese army and Codeco have been accompanied by widespread abuses and repeated attacks on civilians.
The region is also facing ongoing violence from the Allied Democratic Forces, originally formed by Ugandan rebels and now aligned with Islamic State.
Nearly One Million Displaced As Humanitarian Crisis Deepens
The continued fighting has worsened an already severe humanitarian emergency in Ituri.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, nearly one million people have been displaced within the province.
Despite its vast mineral wealth, the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to grapple with entrenched corruption, armed violence and one of Africa’s most enduring humanitarian crises.
