New deadly attack in Ituri: at least 52 dead

At least 52 people have been killed in a suspected attack by the militia group Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to reports.

The militia group launched attacks on Monday evening in three localities in Dguju, in the northeastern province of Ituri.

Members of local civil society reported that 52 people were killed, eight wounded and 30 houses burned down by militiamen during the night attack, according to local radio station Radio Okapi.

Attacks carried out by CODECO, an armed group claiming to defend the interests of the Lendu tribe against Hema rivals, have killed hundreds of civilians since 2014 in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The attack on civilians in Ituri comes in the midst of a humanitarian crisis in North Kivu province, where nearly 3,000 people have been killed since late January after a renewed offensive by M23 rebels against Congolese forces.

The M23 claims to have taken control of Goma, in North Kivu, and has declared that it administers the city.