At least 18 militiamen from the group CODECO were killed by the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), in an operation launched since Monday in several localities of Djugu, Ituri province in the northeast of the country, according to Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, spokesman for the army on the spot in this area.
According to Jules Ngongo, this operation enabled the armed forces to recover at least six entities occupied for several days by the militiamen in the territory of Djugu. A FARDC soldier was also killed and another injured, and several weapons were recovered by the FARDC.
The combat took place in particular along Lake Albert on the border with Uganda where the militiamen gathered in several zones. According to the army spokesperson, the objective of the operations is to prevent the attackers from reorganizing to attack civilians and the police.
The ongoing fighting in Ituri province between the attackers and the military has already prompted more than a million people to flee their homes for refugees in displacement camps. Thousands more have already crossed the border into the Republic of Uganda.
According to the United Nations, attacks on civilians have intensified since March, especially around artisanal mining sites.
