UN Security Council condemns deadly attack on displaced peoples camp in Congo

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned a rebel attack on a displaced peoples camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack on the internally displaced people (IDP) camp of Lala in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, attributed to members of the Cooperative pour le Developpement du Congo (CODECO) on 11 and 12 June 2023, killing at least 45 people and injuring at least 10 others," it said in a statement.

It expressed its sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of the DRC, wishing a full recovery for those who were injured.

The members of council called on the Congolese authorities to investigate the attack immediately and to bring the perpetrators to justice.

They also emphasized that "deliberate attacks targeting civilians may constitute war crimes."

Members of the Security Council reiterated their condemnation of all armed groups operating in the country, including CODECO.

They also stressed the gravity of the humanitarian crisis in the country and called on member states and international and regional organizations to swiftly respond to the humanitarian needs through increased contributions.

- Attack on the camp

At least 45 people were killed, including women and children, by armed rebels in an attack on an internally displaced peoples camp in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday, a senior official confirmed.

The attack was carried out by the CODECO rebel group at the Lala camp for displaced people in the chiefdom of Bahema Badjere in Ituri province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan, according to the chiefdom’s head Jean-Richard Dheda.

Fear gripped the displaced people as the attackers entered the camp with knives and firearms and assaulted people indiscriminately, forcing people to flee to a safe area.

At least 10 people were injured in the attack.

- Violence of CODECO militiamen

It is estimated that thousands of civilians have been killed since 2014 in attacks by CODECO members who were protesting in the east of the country.

In February 2022, CODECO militiamen massacred more than 60 displaced people at the Plaine Savo site in the same chiefdom.

CODECO has intensified its attacks on villages in Ituri since 2021, destroying nearly 1,300 homes in one such attack.

The eastern part of DRC bordering Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi has witnessed many attacks and conflicts between armed groups who have been trying to take control of the gold and cobalt mines in the area for over 20 years.