A local official in the Congo has reported that at least 14 people were killed in an attack carried out by suspected armed militants on a church in the Ituri province of eastern Congo yesterday, Sunday.
The Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) group, one of many militias operating in the conflict-ridden east, was behind the attack, said Djugu territory administrator Ruphin Mapela and civil society leader Dieudonne Lossa.
The CODECO raids have worsened a longstanding humanitarian crisis in Ituri province, where some 3 million people are in desperate need of aid, according to a U.N. humanitarian agency.
This tragic incident follows another devastating event that took place in the final week of July, where at least 13 people, including 9 children, were killed when a soldier opened fire on them during a funeral procession in eastern Congo.
According to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army and local authorities, the attack occurred in the village of Niakova, situated along Lake Albert in the Ituri region of the country.
The soldier reportedly fired shots at people who had gathered to mourn a child’s body, as reported by Reuters.
A spokesperson for the army in the Ituri region revealed that the soldier opened fire on those around him, killing 10 people.
Authorities are actively searching for the naval soldier responsible for the attack, and an investigation has been initiated.
The motive behind the shooting remains unclear. According to the village leader, the soldier expressed concern that his child would be buried alone without him.
