In a violent escalation, 14 individuals lost their lives during an assault on worshippers in a church in a Gobu village in northeastern Congo, Africa.
Reports from the army indicate that the CODECO militia was responsible for the attack.
The incident, which occurred on August 27 in the evening, resulted in the deaths of nine civilians and one Congolese soldier. Four members of the militia also died during the encounter, while injuries were reported among two soldiers and two villagers.
The attack adds to the ongoing unrest in the volatile east of Congo, where more than 120 armed factions operate, vying for territorial control and access to mineral-rich areas.
Among these groups is CODECO, a coalition of ethnic Lendu militias, which has been responsible for nearly 1,800 deaths and over 500 injuries in the past four years, according to the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism.
Recent data from the United Nations reveals CODECO’s expanding activities, including the deaths of 45 civilians in June and a recent surge in violence in the Nord Kivu and Ituri provinces.