CODECO Militiamen Kill Over 40 in Ituri Gold Mining Village
More than forty people were killed in a double incursion by militiamen from the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) from June 20 to 21, 2024, in the village of Bianda, Djugu territory, in the Ituri province. This tragic event was reported by MINES.CD, citing local sources.
Dieudonné Lossa, a civil society activist from Ituri, stated that these attacks targeted gold-producing areas, likely for the purpose of exploiting gold.
“These attacked areas are where gold mining takes place, and it is possible that it is a strategic move for exploitation,” Lossa alerted.
Eyewitnesses confirmed that these regions are under the control of militiamen who engage in extractive activities. According to sources, civilians were killed using bladed weapons, and others were kidnapped by the attackers.
“Several civilians are also missing. We are questioning whether the state still exists. The government must take responsibility and reclaim the areas occupied by these militiamen,” Lossa urged.
Currently, many mining sites in Djugu, Ituri, remain under the control of these attackers, with mining being one of their main objectives.
SOURCE:mines-cd.
