The United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) reported Thursday that an armed attack by the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militia on a refugee camp in Savo, Ituri province, overnight has left at least seven people dead.
For their part, the local authorities have detailed that among the dead there are five children, while there are at least four wounded receiving treatment in health centers in the area.
The United Nations deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, explained that the peacekeeping forces were deployed «immediately to secure the camp and prevent further violence».
However, CODECO has denied its involvement in the armed attack, which is why militia representatives have asked the Congolese government to «urgently» carry out an investigation to find the perpetrators of the tragedy, according to Radio Okapi.
This attack came after the discovery of the bodies of more than fifty civilians in several mass graves in Ituri, following attacks this weekend that left more than 60 dead during the second week of January.
The UN spokesman remarked that these incidents are «the latest in a series of violent attacks against civilians in recent weeks that have severely affected the civilian population and humanitarian operations».
Meanwhile, he assured that MONUSCO is «closely monitoring developments on the ground and advocating with the relevant authorities to ensure the protection of civilians, especially those in displacement sites».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
