ITURI, DR Congo
Mass graves containing the bodies of 49 civilians have been discovered in north-eastern Congo after a series of weekend attacks blamed on a local militia, the United Nations said Wednesday.
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan
Haq told reporters in New York that the graves had been uncovered in two
villages in Ituri province, about (19 miles) 30 kilometers east of the town of
Bunia.
A total of 42 victims,
including six children, had been discovered in a mass grave in the village of
Nyamamba, while the bodies of seven other men were found in another village,
Mbogi, Haq added.
"Peacekeepers launched a
patrol to the area immediately after receiving reports of attacks on civilians
by the CODECO militias over the weekend. This is when they made the gruesome
discoveries," Haq said in New York.
Local authorities have said
that CODECO — Cooperative for the Development of Congo — militants also
abducted a number of women during the attacks on the villages.
Last June, seven CODECO
factions announced an end to violence against civilians in Ituri, mainly in the
Djugu territory where they were very active. Yet they have gradually resumed
attacks in the area.
At least 195 people have been
killed since December in a series of attacks blamed on the CODECO militia and
other armed groups, the U.N. said. More than 1.5 million people in Ituri
province have been displaced by fighting.
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