Title: New massacre of civilians in the Bahema Badjere chiefdom in Ituri
On the night of Sunday June 11 to Monday June 12, suspected militiamen belonging to the cooperative for the development of Congo (CODECO) attacked the Lala site, located in the Bahema Badjere chiefdom, in the territory of Djugu in Ituri. This new assault resulted in the death of forty-six people, including twenty-three children, as well as the destruction of more than eight hundred shelters.
Dieudonné Lossa Dhekana, civil society leader, said the armed violence was attributed to CODECO, one of the militias that signed the peace accord with the government. This cooperative is currently accused of several abuses against civilians in the territories of Djugu and Mahagi.
This incursion of the militiamen into the Lala site has raised serious concerns on the part of the local authorities. The provincial coordination called for rapid action to guarantee the safety of civilian populations in the region.
Violence in eastern DRC has been recurrent for years, causing loss of life and massive displacement of populations. Despite peace agreements and initiatives aimed at bringing stability to the region, violence continues with impunity, plunging the population into anguish and fear