At least 69 people were killed in a militia attack in Ituri Province, according to local officials and security sources who spoke to AFP on Saturday.
For more than three decades, the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has remained a hotspot for violence involving armed groups competing for control of mining areas.
Sources said fighters linked to the Codeco militia, which says it defends the Lendu community, launched coordinated attacks on several villages on April 28, leaving at least 69 people dead.
The recovery of bodies was delayed for days due to insecurity in the affected areas. While security officials confirmed a death toll of 69, local civil protection official Dieudonne Losa said the number of victims exceeded 70.
Earlier on Saturday, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo warned about a “deadly” rise in attacks targeting civilians in the country’s troubled eastern region.
According to MONUSCO, dozens of civilians have been killed in recent days across parts of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, although the mission did not provide further details.
Eastern DRC has long faced instability driven by clashes involving militias, armed factions, and government forces, despite ongoing regional and international peace efforts.
