Attack at a gold mine in Congo leaves at least 35 dead

The local official, Jean-Pierre Bikilisende, at the rural Mungwalu settlement in Djugu, Ituri, said the CODECO militia carried out the raid. attack into the gold mines.

Mr. Bikilisende confirmed that this militia group has gold mine attack Camp Blanquette and 29 bodies were recovered, while six other burned bodies were found buried at the site. Among the dead was a four-month-old baby, Bikilisende added.

“This is the provisional number of victims,” ​​Bikilisende said, because others had died and their bodies were thrown into the mines. Several other civilians have been reported missing. “The search is still ongoing.”

Member of the CODECO militia in the Congo. (Photo: Aljazeera)

The Camp Blanquette mine was set up in a forest, far from the nearest military outpost, so help came too late, according to Bikilisende.

Meanwhile, Cherubin Kukundila, a civilian leader in Mungwalu, said that at least 50 people were killed in the raid. Several people have been injured, nine of them seriously and are being treated at Mungwalu hospital.

The Camp Blanquette mine is located about 7 km (4 mi) from Mungwalu.

CODECO has been accused of carrying out a number of ethnic massacres in Ituri province.

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