According to the UN, armed groups have killed more than 200 civilians in eastern Congo
Geneva (epd). The UN refugee agency UNHCR is deeply concerned about the attacks on civilians by armed groups in eastern Democratic Republic of (DR) Congo. Over the past six weeks, more than 200 civilians have been killed in a series of attacks by non-state groups in Ituri province, UNHCR spokeswoman Eujin Byun said in Geneva on Tuesday.
2,000 houses were destroyed and 80 schools closed or badly damaged. At least 52,000 people were forced to flee. In total, more than 1.5 million people are now fleeing in the province. The UNHCR spokeswoman declined to comment on the identity of the attackers.
The latest deadly attack in Ituri happened on January 19 in the Plaine Savo camp for internally displaced persons. Armed men stormed the facility with guns, killing two adults and five children. Many shelters have been looted and burned to the ground.
According to the spokeswoman, the population of North Kivu province is also expected to be attacked. Since March 2022, 521,000 people have fled attacks and forced conscription by armed groups.
The east of the resource-rich DR Congo has been shaken by violence for years. A number of armed groups want to seize the wealth and fight each other and the security forces. The civilian population in particular is increasing under the ongoing violence.