Ituri attack kills at least 69 in late April raids as militia clashes escalate
Ituri attack sees at least 69 killed in late April raids in northeastern DRC as CODECO CRP clashes intensify prompting calls for urgent civilian protection
A wave of armed raids in Ituri province in late April left at least 69 people dead and dozens more injured and missing in the mineral rich northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Security officials reported the toll as recovery operations continued and local leaders described scenes of bodies left where they fell in villages targeted by militia fighters. The violence is part of a wider flare up between militia groups and Congolese forces that has battered the region for decades.
Casualties and local accounts
Local civil society sources said the attacks on April 28 resulted in more than 70 fatalities in several villages including Bassa where witnesses described bodies strewn across fields and lanes. Security sources speaking on condition of anonymity put the confirmed death toll at 69 and said that number included at least 19 fighters and soldiers.
Community leader Dieudonne Losa said only 25 bodies had been buried as recovery was delayed by the continued presence of armed fighters. Residents reported that families were unable to retrieve remains for days and that many injured people fled into surrounding bush and neighbouring communities.
Militias and sequence of attacks
Officials say fighters tied to the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo known as CODECO carried out the late April assaults after an earlier attack by the Convention for the Popular Revolution identified as CRP on Congolese army positions near Pimbo. Security sources described the CODECO raids as retaliatory and said they struck multiple villages in rapid succession.
The CRP has reemerged in Ituri since early 2025 and its resurgence has been accompanied by renewed clashes with the national army and other armed factions. Analysts note that local rivalries between the Hema and Lendu communities have been exploited by organised militias seeking control of territory and resources.
Humanitarian impact and emergency response
United Nations peacekeepers reported that they rescued nearly 200 civilians caught under fire during the earlier CRP assault on April 30 and have strongly condemned the subsequent deadly attacks on civilians. Local humanitarian actors described a sharp increase in displacement with families fleeing homes and seeking shelter in schools, churches and makeshift camps.
Humanitarian workers warned that delayed body recovery and continued insecurity were complicating aid deliveries and increasing the risk of disease in areas where basic services have collapsed. Medical teams said hospitals and clinics near targeted areas were overwhelmed by wounded civilians and lacked supplies for mass casualty treatment.
Official statements and community appeals
The Ente association representing the Hema community called the killings a massacre and urged members to refrain from acts of retaliation to prevent further spirals of violence. MONUSCO issued a public condemnation of the attacks and repeated calls for all armed actors to respect civilian protections and allow humanitarian access.
Amnesty International through senior crisis adviser Rawya Rageh urged stronger action by Congolese authorities and pointed to overstretched security forces as a factor enabling militants to exploit gaps. Human rights groups pressed for independent investigations and accountability for abuses committed by both militias and state forces.
Security dynamics in eastern DRC
Ituri sits in a broader conflict zone where mineral wealth has long fuelled armed contestation and foreign armed groups have crossed borders to join local struggles. The Allied Democratic Forces a group with roots in Uganda and links to extremist networks continues to launch attacks in parts of the east while the M23 and other militias occupy or contest strategic terrain.
Observers say the Congolese army remains engaged on several fronts stretching its capacity and leaving civilians vulnerable where troops have been redeployed. International and regional officials have repeatedly warned that unless security operations are matched by protective measures for civilians the cycle of reprisal and counter reprisal will continue.
The late April raids in Ituri underscore the fragility of security in eastern DRC and the immediate need for stepped up protection and humanitarian assistance for affected communities. Local leaders and international agencies called for urgent measures to secure displaced populations and to enable the recovery of the missing and deceased while pursuing credible investigations into the attacks.