index

Reports: 63 civilians killed with “edged weapons” in DR Congo

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Daniel Sharp

A watch group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported suspected militiamen have killed dozens at a camp for internally displaced persons.

A watch group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reported suspected militiamen have killed dozens at a camp for internally displaced persons.

The assault took place overnight in the DRC’s eastern Ituri province. This region has seen prolonged violence since May 2021. The mineral-rich area has been the focus of government efforts to drive out several roaming armed faction.

<iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" class="" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 567px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="Twitter Tweet" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=PopSmokeMedia&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1488814274994749442&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.popsmokemedia.com%2Freports-63-civilians-killed-with-edged-weapons-in-dr-congo%2F&sessionId=364cc775066377983fcdfe0094918278bc7b8290&siteScreenName=PopSmokeMedia&theme=light&widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1488814274994749442"></iframe>

Charite Banza Bavi, president of a local humanitarian group, estimated the death toll to be 63. The U.N. migration agency surveyed the camp in December, and reported it was home to over 4000 people at that time.

These gruesome events draw eerie parallels to a raid that took place in May, 2020. Then, over 40 civilians were killed with machetes while bandits looted resources from a village in the mountainous northern region of the country.

No group claimed immediate responsibility for the attack, but Al Jazeera reported fighters from the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo armed group, known as CODECO, may be the culprits.

This comes as Reuters confirmed 26 people died as a result of a power cable snapping near the DRC’s capital city of Kinshasa. The live wire fell into a large puddle where shoppers were walking through, resulting in mass casualties.

You may also like

Blog

Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail despite facing serious war crimes charges, with the court citing the complexity of the case and imposing strict conditions.
A Russian strike on Kyiv killed a 12-year-old and injured multiple people, with additional attacks reported in Dnipro, Kharkiv and Odesa.
Ten countries condemned the killing of United Nations peacekeepers in Lebanon and called for an immediate end to hostilities amid escalating conflict and a deepening humanitarian crisis.
A school principal in Oklahoma stepped into the line of fire and stopped a gunman before lives were lost. His split-second decision turned what could have been a tragedy into a story of courage.
The U.S. House passed the ALERT Act to enhance aviation safety after a deadly 2025 crash, though concerns remain over its effectiveness and implementation.

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers