Rebels Kill at Least 17 in Eastern Congo

At least 17 people were killed by rebels in eastern Congo, according to local authorities on Monday.

Colonel Ruphin Mapela Mviniama told the Associated Press by phone that the people were abducted while driving on a road and then killed by the CODECO militia group in Djugu territory in Ituri province over the weekend.

“They attacked three vehicles and took them to Petshi, their stronghold, in the Walendu Djatsi district. The chief of the (the district) confirmed that they executed 17 people, including the drivers of the three vehicles,” he said.

Since the area is controlled by rebel militias, Mfiniyama said, it is difficult to investigate what happened.

Fighting between CODECO, a loose association of various Lendu ethnic militias, and Zaire, a Hema ethnic self-defense group, has been going on since 2017 but has recently worsened.

At least 32 civilians were killed by CODECO last month, according to local officials. The United Nations stated that in December the rebel group was expanding its areas of control, attacking civilians and the Congolese army and taxing communities in the areas it controls.

The killings come amid escalating violence across eastern Congo, where conflict has escalated for decades as over 120 armed groups in the region fight, most for territory and control of valuable mineral mines, while some groups try to protect their communities.