Tensions and tragedy are shaking the Banyali Tchabi region, in the Irumu territory of Ituri, following deadly attacks by ADF rebels. The recent events have caused the loss of three lives, leaving many people injured and others abducted, plunging the local community into fear and confusion.
The first attack, which occurred on the night of Thursday to Friday in Banjili, was particularly devastating, with the murder of three women, the kidnapping of a young girl and the burning of a house. This wave of violence has spread terror among the inhabitants of the region, pushing them to take refuge at the MONUSCO base to escape the attackers.
Another attack took place on Friday evening in Vabuloso, where two people were injured by bullets and urgently transferred to Bunia for medical treatment. Faced with these bloody episodes, the population was forced to flee en masse to the chiefdom’s capital, where the joint FARDC-UPDF armed forces and the police are deployed to ensure security.
This insecurity situation has paralyzed daily activities in the region, with schools, shops and businesses closed, leaving the population in a state of extreme vulnerability. Local residents, mainly war returnees, are now exposed to rebel attacks, while several FARDC positions have been abandoned in the region.
Faced with this escalation of violence, Jacques Anayei, president of the Tchabi youth movement, has launched an urgent appeal to the government to strengthen the military presence in the region and protect the population against ADF attacks. It is crucial to act quickly to stem the threat and avoid further mass displacement of the population.
These recent events have broken a period of relative calm in the region, which had allowed the return of thousands of displaced people. The resumption of violence underlines the fragility of the security situation in this part of Ituri and highlights the need for concerted action to ensure the protection of civilians and restore peace in the region.