The province of Ituri is once again in mourning. On the night of June 11 to 12, 2023, more than forty displaced civilians were killed during an attack perpetrated by CODECO militiamen. The Lala site, in the Bahema Badjere chiefdom, was targeted, injuring eight people.
The report drawn up by the G5-A, a structure bringing together the victim communities of the region, reports 46 civilians killed, 10 missing and 11 injured. Deaths that make politicians and civil society react.
National MP Jackson Ausse Afingoto, elected from the Irumu electoral district in Ituri, calls on the Congolese government to “stop talking” with armed groups and, on the contrary, “activate military operations”. According to him, “security is not negotiated”.
For his part, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, recalls that this attack is an act of sabotage to the peace process in Ituri and does not advance any assessment or mention the perpetrators of the attack. This communication adviser to Governor Luboya, however, announces the opening of investigations to find the culprits of this carnage.
Displaced persons sites are regularly targeted by armed groups in Djugu territory, such as the attack in Plaine Savo in 2022. Residents are alarmed by this upsurge in violence, which adds to an already fragile health situation.
The Congolese government must find solutions to protect civilian populations and put an end to the activities of armed groups in the region. The recent creation of the G5-A shows that communities are ready to take charge of their own security and find lasting and peaceful solutions for the future of the region.
In the meantime, mourning and pain once again mark Ituri, a region plagued by recurrent violence from local armed groups