At least 69 people have been killed in renewed militia attacks in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local and security sources.
The deadly assaults occurred in Ituri Province, an area that has suffered years of violent clashes involving armed groups competing for control of mineral-rich territories.
Reports said fighters linked to the Codeco militia attacked several villages on April 28, leaving dozens dead. The militia, which claims to defend the Lendu ethnic community, reportedly launched the attacks following earlier clashes involving the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP), an armed group associated with the Hema community.
Local civil society leader Dieudonne Losa disclosed that more than 70 people lost their lives during the retaliatory attacks, while security officials confirmed that at least 69 people, including militia members and soldiers, were killed.
According to sources, the presence of armed fighters delayed the evacuation and burial of victims for several days. Only a fraction of the bodies had been buried as of Saturday, with several corpses still awaiting recovery.
Humanitarian workers described scenes of devastation around the village of Bassa, where bodies were reportedly scattered across the area after the attacks.
The United Nations mission in the DRC condemned the renewed violence and called for the protection of civilians. Earlier, the mission announced it had rescued nearly 200 people trapped during clashes between armed groups and Congolese government forces.
The Ente association, representing the Hema community, described the killings as a massacre and urged residents to avoid revenge attacks that could worsen the crisis.
Eastern DR Congo has remained unstable for decades due to ethnic tensions, armed insurgencies, and battles over valuable natural resources such as gold, cobalt, copper, and diamonds.
The resurgence of the CRP group since early 2025 has intensified insecurity in Ituri. The group was founded by convicted warlord Thomas Lubanga, who was sentenced by the International Criminal Court in 2012 for recruiting child soldiers before his release in 2020.
The region is also threatened by attacks from the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group originally formed by Ugandan fighters and later linked to the Islamic State group.
The worsening conflict has triggered a severe humanitarian crisis in Ituri Province, where nearly one million people have reportedly been displaced from their homes.
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