May 19. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Three civilians have been killed in the rural commune of Mongbwalu, in the Congolese province of Ituri, in a new attack by the militias of the Congolese Development Cooperative (CODECO).
The attack occurred on the night of Friday to Saturday, when a man, his wife and his son were murdered while they slept, according to the Congolese news portal Actualité.
Images distributed on social networks whose veracity has not been verified show the bodies of two civilians mutilated with machetes and another shot.
A local politician, Bruno Akilisende, has expressed his indignation at the increase in attacks and has asked to send more soldiers to contain this armed group.
The attack occurs despite the ceasefire agreement signed by the armed groups with a presence in Ituri. The document was signed on April 19 in the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, Jean-Pierre Bemba.
CODECO is predominantly made up of members of the Lendu community. The increase in their attacks in recent months has brought to mind the conflict between the Hema and the Lendu between 1999 and 2007 over grazing rights and political representation, which left nearly 50,000 dead.
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