'Children chopped up by machetes' in eastern DRC attack

Fourteen civilians, including children, have been killed in an attack on a displaced persons' camp in Ituri province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a monitoring organisation and local civil group said.

The attack occurred on Monday in the Djugu area of Ituri, according to the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a respected monitor of violence in the conflict-torn region.

It added that it suspected militants from an ethnic armed group called CODECO to be behind the attack.

Jules Tsuba, president of an association of civil society groups in Djugu, said most of the victims in the attack were children and stressed that the death toll was provisional.

"It's shocking to see children chopped up by machetes," he said.

Ernest Dhekana, head of the local Red Cross branch, told the AFP news agency that 10 children aged between six months and 17 years old were among the dead. Two women and two men were also killed.

Photos seen by the AFP showed children splayed on the ground, covered in blood.

READ MORE: Dozens killed in 'CODECO militia' raid on DRC gold mine

'State of siege'

CODECO – the name for the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo – is a political-religious sect that claims to represent the interests of the Lendu ethnic group.

It is considered one of the deadliest militant groups operating in the east of the country, blamed for a number of ethnic massacres.

Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu province have been governed by the security forces since May last year, in a bid to stem attacks. Civilian massacres have nonetheless continued.

Termed a "state of siege" in DRC, the military- and police-led administrations of Ituri and North Kivu have come under criticism for their apparent ineffectiveness.

The provinces are plagued by a growing number of attacks from various militants, including CODECO and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which the Daesh describes as its local affiliate.

About 2,500 civilians were killed between May 2021 and April 2022, according to the KST.

READ MORE: Dozens of civilians killed in DRC by suspected ADF rebels

Rights abuses 

President Felix Tshisekedi, under pressure from deputies from the provinces, has decided to review the effectiveness of the state of siege.

Amnesty International, in a report released on Tuesday, said the strategy had led to abuses rather than increased security.

"The military and police authorities have used their powers under the state of siege to crack down on anyone they deem critical, including members of parliament and human rights activists," the rights group said.

"They continue to repress peaceful protests and throw activists in jail".

Monday's attack in Ituri follows a raid on a gold mine in the restive province the previous day which killed at least 35 people.

The details of that attack are hazy, although a local official has also blamed CODECO.

READ MORE: Dozens killed in rebel attacks in eastern DRC