At least 17 people were executed by the notorious CODECO militia in eastern DR Congo on Sunday after being taken hostage the previous day, according to local sources. The hostages were captured in the Djugu territory, located around 45 kilometers (30 miles) north of Bunia in Ituri province.
The incident occurred after three CODECO members were killed in a clash with a rival militia, following which the group took hostages, including a pregnant woman. The community leader, Banguneni Gbalande, stated that he was alerted by families of some of the victims.
Toko Kagbanese, another local traditional leader, confirmed that the hostages had been executed by the militia.
The Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) is one of many armed groups operating in the mineral-rich region. The group claims to protect the Lendu community from another ethnic group, the Hema, and the army.
In recent days, CODECO fighters have been blamed for several massacres, resulting in the deaths of 30 people, including women and children.
Ituri province is one of the hot spots for violence in eastern Congo, where dozens of armed groups are active. These groups are remnants of regional wars that flared in the 1990s and 2000s.
Since the end of 2022, dozens of people have been killed in the gold-rich Ituri province every week, with attacks claiming many lives being a routine occurrence.
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