Peacekeepers in the Republic of Congo discovered mass graves with 49 civilian bodies following a series of attacks by a local rebel group. The graves were uncovered in two villages in northeastern Ituri province, about 30km (19 miles) east of the town of Bunia. The massacre has since been attributed to the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO)
According to the UN, 42 of the victims including children were discovered in a large mass grave in Nyamamba village while the bodies of 7 men were discovered in another village; all in Ituri Province. These incidents occurred amidst a significant deterioration of the security situation in the Djugu and Mahagi territories.
Ethnic clashes between the Lendu and Hema communities have lasted for decades with CODECO claiming to protect the Lendu from the attacks from the Hema who are said to be represented by a rival militia called Zaire.
The recent attacks were triggered by the killing of a teacher belonging to the Lendu community which in turn prompted reprisal attacks from CODECO who blamed the teacher’s death on the Zaire militia.
