At least nine people were killed in an armed attack on Tuesday, April 28, in several villages in the Mambisa chiefdom, in the Djugu territory of Ituri province. Several local sources attribute the attack to members of the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), an armed group active in the area and already implicated in recent attacks against military positions.
According to these sources, armed men targeted the villages of Tsuba, Lilo 1, Zanyo, and Liju, where positions held by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) were also attacked.
According to local sources, the victims included a village chief, a religious leader, and a school principal, some of whom were killed along with their wives.
Several homes were burned down, exacerbating an already fragile humanitarian situation.
“Several civilians are still believed to be in the bush, exposed to the elements, hunger, and security risks following this resurgence of attacks,” warns a local community leader.
Some displaced people have been directed to the Gina site with the support of MONUSCO, while others remain without assistance.
A resurgence of attacks also targeting the FARDC
This attack comes amid a renewed surge in violence in the Djugu territory, marked by increased activity by the CRP.
According to several local observers, this armed group has intensified its attacks in recent days, particularly against FARDC positions, while also carrying out incursions into civilian areas.
This pattern echoes the attack that occurred almost simultaneously in Pimbo, where an army position was targeted on Monday night, resulting in the deaths of at least ten civilians, according to local sources. This resurgence of violence is fueling concerns about a possible rise in the power of armed groups in this part of Ituri.
Freddy Upar, in Bunia
