DR Congo: An armed group central to a prolonged ethnic conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo's northeast attacked a camp for displaced individuals, resulting in 10 fatalities, local sources reported. Situated near Uganda, Ituri province has experienced intense clashes between the Lendu, predominantly settled farmers, and the Hema, generally nomadic herders. This conflict has caused the deaths of thousands and has displaced many more.
According to Nam News Network, the recent attack on the camp involved victims who were either killed with machetes or shot, as confirmed by a humanitarian worker on the ground. Congolese army Colonel Ruffin Mapela, the local administrator for Djugu territory where the attack occurred, corroborated the report of 10 deaths and noted that 15 others were injured.
Earlier this year, on February 10, Codeco was implicated in another attack within Ituri province that claimed 51 lives, primarily targeting displaced persons. That incident was reportedly a response to an attack by the rival Hema-led Zaire militia in the same region.
The Hema and Lendu conflict in gold-rich Ituri resulted in thousands of deaths from 1999 to 2003, before European forces intervened to bring temporary peace. Hostilities reignited in 2017, leading to further casualties. The ongoing violence has forced more than 1.5 million people from their homes, as reported by the UN.