At least 69 killed in Codeco militia attack in DR Congo’s Ituri province

A devastating militia assault in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo has left at least 69 people dead, according to local officials and security sources who spoke to AFP. Some local authorities, including civil‑protection official Dieudonne Losa, say the toll is over 70, with recovery efforts delayed for days because the area remained too dangerous to access.

Security sources say the attack was carried out in late April by armed fighters linked to the Codeco militia a group long implicated in violence against civilians in the region. The incident adds to a surge of deadly assaults across eastern DRC.

Earlier on Saturday, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO warned of a “deadly” wave of attacks in Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, noting that dozens of civilians have been killed in recent days. The UN also reiterated that eastern Congo has endured nearly three decades of conflict, driven by armed groups, militias and clashes involving the national army, despite ongoing humanitarian and peacekeeping efforts.

The mineral‑rich region remains one of the world’s most volatile conflict zones, with civilians repeatedly caught in cycles of violence.