KINSHASA, Congo
Rebels in eastern Congo attacked a village near a mine in Ituri province, killing at least 52 people, government officials said.
Fighters with the group known
as CODECO attacked the town of Kablangete on Sunday, said Jean-Pierre
Bikilisende, the mayor of Mongwalu, which is 7 kilometers (4 miles) away.
In addition to those killed,
100 civilians were missing, Bikilisende said.
Congo’s government condemned
the killings as a “barbaric and cowardly act of CODECO terrorists on innocent
populations,” Congo’s Ministry of Communications said in a statement. The
government said it is determined to restore peace in the region.
At least 38 civilians,
including women and children, were killed at the Blakete-Plitu mining site,
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York, “and more civilians were
displaced and reported missing when the attackers set fire to the nearby Malika
village, where they also reportedly raped six women.”
The U.N. peacekeeping mission
in Congo evacuated severely injured civilians on Monday to medical facilities
in Bunia in Ituri Province, Dujarric said.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres called on Congolese authorities to investigate the incidents, bring
those responsible to justice, and ensure the peacekeeping mission’s immediate
access to the area “to facilitate efforts to protect civilians,” Dujarric said.
The U.N. chief urged all armed
groups in Congo to stop attacking civilians, participate in the political
process and lay down their arms, he said.
Jean Ladis Maboso, an
administrator in the affected area, called for justice.
“We condemn this killing of
civilians. The militiamen executed civilians in the absence of security
elements,” he said. “It is a criminal act that cannot go unnoticed.”
In February, CODECO fighters
attacked the Djugu area and killed at least 60 people.
Eastern Congo has been
destabilized for years by attacks by several different rebel groups, including
CODECO, that are vying for control of the mineral-rich area. The ongoing
violence has prompted thousands of rural residents to flee their homes for
safer areas.
The latest attack comes a week
after discussions were held in Kenya between the Congolese government and rebel
movements to try to establish peace and stability in the area.
No comments:
Post a Comment