At least 15 people died after militia attacked the worshippers praying in a Church in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed military and local sources on Tuesday (August 29). The civilians living in this area have been victims of increasing violence.

Militiamen, who belonged to the Co-operative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), which is a militia group involved in various brutal ethnic killings, on Sunday attacked a fishing camp in Gobu, stated Charite Banza, president of civil society in Ituri province.

The attack that took place on Sunday lasted for more than two hours, and ended with the killing of 15 people, said Banza while speaking to the AFP, further stating that seven other people died in the same area a week earlier.

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Ituri province has emerged as one of the most violent hotspots of DR Congo where dozens of lives are being claimed in the attacks.

<h2>Officials prosecute perpetrators of attack</h2>

Head of the same chiefdom of Bahema Nord Pilo Mulindo said that as per a provisional toll, nine civilians, four CODECO militiamen and one soldier were killed in the attack that took place on Tuesday.

Speaking to AFP, army spokesperson Lieutenant Jules Ngongo said that the CODECO militia had "attacked civilians in the middle of prayer on Sunday in their church in Gobu, on the shores of Lake Albert".

Ngongo stated that the military had responded to the church attack and the officials were prosecuting the perpetrators.

Djugu territory administrator Ruphin Mapela and civil society leader Dieudonne Lossa confirmed that the CODECO was behind the attack.

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"The victims were praying to the Lord, but unfortunately militiamen identified as CODECO opened fire on them," Lossa stated. Both added that one soldier, four assailants and nine civilians were killed in the attack.

Mapela stated that the churches of Mesa, Cepac and Aumopro which are near the shore of Lake Albert in the Bahema-Nord chiefdom were attacked by the militants.

"We call on the population to remain calm as the armed forces pursue these criminals to put them out of action," said Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo Tshikudi.

The CODECO militia, which comprises thousands of fighters, says that they are protecting the Lendu community from its rival ethnic group the Hema. The conflict between Lendu and Hema communities rekindled in 2017, after a decade of calm.

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At least 15 people died after militia attacked the worshippers praying in a Church in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed military and local sources on Tuesday (August 29).

At least 15 people died after militia attacked the worshippers praying in a Church in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, confirmed military and local sources on Tuesday (August 29). The civilians living in this area have been victims of increasing violence. Militiamen, who belonged to the Co-operative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO), which is a militia group involved in various brutal ethnic killings, on Sunday attacked a fishing camp in Gobu, stated Charite Banza, president of civil society in Ituri province. The attack that took place on Sunday lasted for more than two hours, and ended with the killing of 15 people, said Banza while speaking to the AFP, further stating that seven other people died in the same area a week earlier. ALSO READ | South African govt refutes media report of snub to PM Narendra Modi amid BRICS summit Ituri province has emerged as one of the most violent hotspots of DR Congo where dozens of lives are being claimed in the attacks. Officials prosecute perpetrators of attack Head of the same chiefdom of Bahema Nord Pilo Mulindo said that as per a provisional toll, nine civilians, four CODECO militiamen and one soldier were killed in the attack that took place on Tuesday. Speaking to AFP, army spokesperson Lieutenant Jules Ngongo said that the CODECO militia had "attacked civilians in the middle of prayer on Sunday in their church in Gobu, on the shores of Lake Albert". Ngongo stated that the military had responded to the church attack and the officials were prosecuting the perpetrators. Djugu territory administrator Ruphin Mapela and civil society leader Dieudonne Lossa confirmed that the CODECO was behind the attack. WATCH | Vodoo wrestling in democratic Republic of Congo "The victims were praying to the Lord, but unfortunately militiamen identified as CODECO opened fire on them," Lossa stated. Both added that one soldier, four assailants and nine civilians were killed in the attack. Mapela stated that the churches of Mesa, Cepac and Aumopro which are near the shore of Lake Albert in the Bahema-Nord chiefdom were attacked by the militants. "We call on the population to remain calm as the armed forces pursue these criminals to put them out of action," said Ituri army spokesman Jules Ngongo Tshikudi. The CODECO militia, which comprises thousands of fighters, says that they are protecting the Lendu community from its rival ethnic group the Hema. The conflict between Lendu and Hema communities rekindled in 2017, after a decade of calm. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

At least 15 killed in militia attack on worshippers in Church in DR Congo

At least 20 people were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an attack&nbsp;on Friday (April 7), said local authorities. The next day, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a village in eastern Congo, in a statement on its Telegram channel. This also comes days after another attack by the same group in neighbouring Ituri province, in which 30 people were killed, as per the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo.&nbsp;

The attack on Musandaba

The attack, on Friday, took place in a village named Musandaba which is on the outskirts of the city of Beni, in the eastern part of the country. “We counted about 20 dead on Friday in the village of Musandaba,” said regional military administrator Colonel Charles Omeonga, as per media reports. He also attributed the attack to the “ADF terrorists,” reported AFP. &nbsp;

However, local civil society leader Patrick Mukohe told AFP that he counted at least 21 bodies of men and women at the site of the massacre which was some 30 kilometres west of the town of Oicha. He blamed the attack on the “enemy” ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) who “ambushed farmers at around 4:00 pm (local time)...near the village of Enebula”.&nbsp;

Notably, the province in question is one of two conflict-hit regions which was placed under military administration over a year ago to combat growing violence.&nbsp;

Additionally, the military spokesperson in the North Kivu region, Anthony Mwalushay said the attackers used machetes “to avoid confrontation with the army,” reported Reuters.&nbsp;

Previous attacks by the ADF and Islamic State

The ADF group, which is said to be affiliated with the Islamic State and has insurgents from Uganda, has&nbsp;gained a foothold in eastern DR Congo since the 1990s. The group has been accused of killing thousands in the country. However, since 2019, many attacks by the ADF have been claimed by the Islamic State.&nbsp;

On Thursday, the United Nations mission in Congo (MONUSCO) condemned the attack which had been carried out by the ADF and killed more than 30 people. Last month, the United States offered a reward of up to $5 million for any information about the group’s leader Seka Musa Baluku, reported AFP.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp; 
 
&nbsp;

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At least 20 people were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an attack on Friday (April 7), said local authorities. The next day, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a village in eastern Congo, in a statement on its Telegram channel.

At least 20 people were killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an attack on Friday (April 7), said local authorities. The next day, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on a village in eastern Congo, in a statement on its Telegram channel. This also comes days after another attack by the same group in neighbouring Ituri province, in which 30 people were killed, as per the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo. The attack on Musandaba The attack, on Friday, took place in a village named Musandaba which is on the outskirts of the city of Beni, in the eastern part of the country. “We counted about 20 dead on Friday in the village of Musandaba,” said regional military administrator Colonel Charles Omeonga, as per media reports. He also attributed the attack to the “ADF terrorists,” reported AFP. However, local civil society leader Patrick Mukohe told AFP that he counted at least 21 bodies of men and women at the site of the massacre which was some 30 kilometres west of the town of Oicha. He blamed the attack on the “enemy” ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) who “ambushed farmers at around 4:00 pm (local time)...near the village of Enebula”. Notably, the province in question is one of two conflict-hit regions which was placed under military administration over a year ago to combat growing violence. Additionally, the military spokesperson in the North Kivu region, Anthony Mwalushay said the attackers used machetes “to avoid confrontation with the army,” reported Reuters. Previous attacks by the ADF and Islamic State The ADF group, which is said to be affiliated with the Islamic State and has insurgents from Uganda, has gained a foothold in eastern DR Congo since the 1990s. The group has been accused of killing thousands in the country. However, since 2019, many attacks by the ADF have been claimed by the Islamic State. On Thursday, the United Nations mission in Congo (MONUSCO) condemned the attack which had been carried out by the ADF and killed more than 30 people. Last month, the United States offered a reward of up to $5 million for any information about the group’s leader Seka Musa Baluku, reported AFP. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

At least 20 killed in eastern Congo attack; Islamic State claims responsibility

Twenty-five people have been killed in a suspected militia attack in the eastern DR Congo region of Beni, where hundreds have died in violence since November, a local official said Wednesday, blaming the attack on the notorious ADF militia.

The army was chasing ADF fighters on Thursday when they found the bodies of 25 civilians, who had been "taken by surprise in their fields on New Year's Eve," Donat Kibuana, the administrator of the Beni territory, told AFP.

The ADF is one of more than 100 militias that plague the eastern provinces of the vast country and has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of civilians over the past year. 
 
Brutal militia

The ADF, blamed for the deaths of more than a thousand civilians in Beni since October 2014, began as an Islamist-rooted rebel group in Uganda that opposed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

It fell back into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995 during the Congo Wars and appears to have halted raids inside Uganda. Its recruits today are people of various nationalities.

UN experts estimated the ADF in 2018 to number around 450 fighters.

A report to the UN Security Council last week said the ADF seemed to follow an extreme Islamist ideology, but there is no information on whether the group had links with international jihadist groups. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Twenty-five people have been killed in a suspected militia attack in the eastern DR Congo region of Beni, where hundreds have died in violence since November, a local official said Wednesday, blaming the attack on the notorious ADF militia.

Twenty-five people have been killed in a suspected militia attack in the eastern DR Congo region of Beni, where hundreds have died in violence since November, a local official said Wednesday, blaming the attack on the notorious ADF militia. The army was chasing ADF fighters on Thursday when they found the bodies of 25 civilians, who had been "taken by surprise in their fields on New Year's Eve," Donat Kibuana, the administrator of the Beni territory, told AFP. The ADF is one of more than 100 militias that plague the eastern provinces of the vast country and has been blamed for the deaths of hundreds of civilians over the past year. Brutal militia The ADF, blamed for the deaths of more than a thousand civilians in Beni since October 2014, began as an Islamist-rooted rebel group in Uganda that opposed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. It fell back into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995 during the Congo Wars and appears to have halted raids inside Uganda. Its recruits today are people of various nationalities. UN experts estimated the ADF in 2018 to number around 450 fighters. A report to the UN Security Council last week said the ADF seemed to follow an extreme Islamist ideology, but there is no information on whether the group had links with international jihadist groups. (With inputs from agencies)

25 civilians killed in attacks in eastern DR Congo, ADF militia blamed: Officials

Eighteen people in eastern DR Congo's troubled region of Beni have been killed in a fresh attack by a notorious armed group, a local official said on Monday.

"There was an incursion in Apetina-Sana by the ADF last night," Beni administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP, referring to the Allied Democratic Forces militia.&nbsp;

"(They) hacked 18 civilians to death."

Apetina-Sana is 16 kilometres (10 miles) west of Oicha, the chief administrative town in the Beni region.

It is a point on the so-called Death Triangle, along with Mbau and Eringeti -- the worst-hit area for attacks.

ADF fighters have killed more than 200 people since the army launched an offensive against the militia on October 30, according to a toll compiled by civil society groups.

The toll has sparked anger over the authorities' response.

"The authorities were tipped off on Sunday evening about the presence of suspicious men west of Oicha," said Teddy Kataliko, a civil society activist in Beni.

"We continue to ask the DRC armed forces to launch operations on the western side as well, to save civilians."

There have also been demonstrations in the city of Beni, where local people accuse the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO of failing to protect them.

The ADF began as an Islamist rebellion hostile to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.&nbsp;

It fell back into eastern DRC in 1995 and appears to have halted raids inside Uganda. Its recruits today are people of various nationalities.

In a separate incident in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, "armed bandits" attacked a base used by a Chinese-owned gold mine, killing four people, the military said.

The raid happened in Irumu district in the northeastern province of Ituri, said Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, the army's provincial spokesman.

Two soldiers, a policeman and a driver for the mine were killed, he said.

"The assailants have not been completely identified but they must be armed bandits who look for supplies during the year-end festivities," Ngongo said.

Eighteen people in eastern DR Congo's troubled region of Beni have been killed in a fresh attack by a notorious armed group, a local official said on Monday. "There was an incursion in Apetina-Sana by the ADF last night," Beni administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP, referring to the Allied Democratic Forces militia.

Eighteen people in eastern DR Congo's troubled region of Beni have been killed in a fresh attack by a notorious armed group, a local official said on Monday. "There was an incursion in Apetina-Sana by the ADF last night," Beni administrator Donat Kibwana told AFP, referring to the Allied Democratic Forces militia. "(They) hacked 18 civilians to death." Apetina-Sana is 16 kilometres (10 miles) west of Oicha, the chief administrative town in the Beni region. It is a point on the so-called Death Triangle, along with Mbau and Eringeti -- the worst-hit area for attacks. ADF fighters have killed more than 200 people since the army launched an offensive against the militia on October 30, according to a toll compiled by civil society groups. The toll has sparked anger over the authorities' response. "The authorities were tipped off on Sunday evening about the presence of suspicious men west of Oicha," said Teddy Kataliko, a civil society activist in Beni. "We continue to ask the DRC armed forces to launch operations on the western side as well, to save civilians." There have also been demonstrations in the city of Beni, where local people accuse the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO of failing to protect them. The ADF began as an Islamist rebellion hostile to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. It fell back into eastern DRC in 1995 and appears to have halted raids inside Uganda. Its recruits today are people of various nationalities. In a separate incident in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, "armed bandits" attacked a base used by a Chinese-owned gold mine, killing four people, the military said. The raid happened in Irumu district in the northeastern province of Ituri, said Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, the army's provincial spokesman. Two soldiers, a policeman and a driver for the mine were killed, he said. "The assailants have not been completely identified but they must be armed bandits who look for supplies during the year-end festivities," Ngongo said.

Eighteen killed in new militia attack in eastern DR Congo