Status: 01/23/2023 3:21 p.m
Rebels have attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to authorities, at least 20 people were killed. Mass graves were discovered in a neighboring province just last week.
At least 20 civilians have been killed in a rebel attack in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, officials said. This is reported by the dpa news agency. The attack on the village of Makungwe in the North Kivu region was preceded by several raids on various villages in the region since the beginning of the year.
According to Congolese army spokesman Anthony Mwalwishay, the rebel group ADF, which is now part of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia, is responsible for the attacks. As early as mid-January, the Congolese government held the ADF responsible for a bomb attack on a church in the east of the country. Around ten people were killed in the terrorist attack.
Increased attacks also in Ituri province
According to the aid organization Action Against Hunger, the situation is also getting worse in the neighboring province of Ituri. Since the beginning of the year there have also been an increasing number of deadly attacks on refugee camps by militias there. Humanitarian workers would have had to be evacuated because their safety could no longer be guaranteed.
Just last week, UN peacekeeping forces discovered mass graves containing a total of 49 dead civilians in two villages in Ituri province. Among them were children. There had previously been attacks for which local militias were blamed.
According to “Action Against Hunger,” there are now 1.5 million internally displaced people in the Ituri region. The east of the DR Congo is one of the most dangerous regions in the world. According to the United States, around 130 different armed groups are said to be active there. The renewed violence comes days before Pope Francis visits the capital, Kinshasa.