BUNA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Askume) – A village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province was attacked by Codeco militia at midnight, killing 10 civilians, the head of the local government and a civil society leader said on Tuesday.
CodeCO is one of several militia groups competing for land and resources in eastern Congo. The United Nations has in the past accused the group of carrying out attacks against other communities , including Hema herders , that may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Administrator Jean Marie Mateso and civil society leader Jules Tsuba said militants from the armed group entered a village in Djugu district around midnight, killing 10 people from two families in the village, where most residents were from the Hema community.
Matso told Askume that Kodko militiamen beheaded some of their victims and dismembered their bodies.
“There is a great sense of despair here because there are many rumours that other villages will be attacked,” he said. Matso said the killings took place not far from Congolese military bases.
The body was still lying on the ground on Tuesday morning, Tsuba said.
