BENI, Democratic Republic of Congo, November 29, Reuters - Militiamen killed 20 people on Sunday in an attack on a displaced persons camp in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local chief and a civil rights group said.
They blamed the attack on the CODECO militia, which killed hundreds of civilians in the province of Ituri and forced thousands to flee their homes in the last few years.
Jules Ngongo Tshikudi, Army spokesman, confirmed the attack on Sunday near the village of Drodro, but did not give a death toll.
The death of 20 people was reported by local chief Pilo Mulindro Willy, while civil rights group president Charite Banza put the toll at 22.
In the space of a week, this is the third attack by these outlaws against displacement sites in this part of the country, causing more than 50 deaths and enormous material damage, said Banza.
The government said that CODECO fighters killed about 20 people in the same area last Sunday. CODECO's fighters are mostly drawn from the Lendu farming community, which has been in conflict with Hema herders for a long time.
Since May when the government declared a state of siege in response to rampant violence, ituri and the neighbouring North Kivu province have been run by military officers but the killings have not shown any signs of abating.