Militants have attacked a camp for displaced persons in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 41 people.
Richard Dheda, an official of the local administration for Bahema Badjere in Djugu territory says Cooperative for the Development of the Congo militia attacked the camp in Ituri province in the early hours of today.
The CODECO, claims to protect the Lendu community from another ethnic group, the Hema, as well as the DR Congo army.
The Lala camp for displaced people is five kilometers from Bule, the site of a UN peacekeeper base.
Maki Lombe, a witness, also told the Reuters news agency he had seen “more than 40 bodies” lying on the ground. He survived by fleeing during the night, he said.
“They began to fire shots, many people were burned to death in their homes, others were killed by machete,” Desire Malodra, civil society representative, told AFP.
The victims will be buried in a mass grave, Charite Banza, head of a local civil rights group, told Reuters.