September 14 (EUROPA PRESS) –
At least 17 people have been killed in recent hours in military actions and those of the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Seven CODECO fighters have been killed and thirteen others wounded in the Banyali Kilo sector of Ituri province, in a military operation in which several weapons were also recovered, according to Radio Okapi, citing security sources.
Three soldiers have also died in fighting to regain control of the town of Biyanda in a military offensive launched a week ago against the militias of this group that has occupied several villages in the area for months.
The wounded militiamen were evacuated by their comrades to the towns of Andisa, Mbau and Nyangaray.
The CODECO militias are predominantly made up of members of the Lendu community. The increase in their attacks in recent months has brought back memories of the conflict between the Hema and the Lendu between 1999 and 2007 over grazing rights and political representation, which left nearly 50,000 dead in an area shaken by the operations of several armed groups.
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