Kinshasa – The bloodshed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues as field and security reports confirm the death of at least 70 people, mostly civilians, in a brutal attack by the CODECO militia in the volatile Ituri province. This massacre is part of an escalating wave of sectarian violence that political agreements have failed to curb, amidst a near-total absence of state authority.
Heavy Toll and Hindered Relief Efforts
Dieudonné Lossa, a civil society leader in Ituri, told AFP on Saturday that the death toll from the CODECO attack is expected to rise beyond 70. Lossa explained that the dire security situation prevented the recovery of bodies for several days, reflecting the armed groups’ control over remote areas. Meanwhile, the UN mission (MONUSCO) issued an official statement condemning the wave of attacks targeting civilians, expressing deep concern over reports of airstrikes and shelling on May 8, 2026, in the Kilolirwe and Mushaki regions.
Conflict Map and Failure of De-escalation Agreements
Eastern Congo has been plagued by complex conflicts for three decades; while the M23 movement controls vast areas in the north, rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to ISIS, continue to commit massacres, killing 36 people since last Tuesday alone. Despite a Washington-brokered peace agreement signed last December between Kinshasa and Kigali, the reality on the ground proves the failure of the truce, as armed groups continue to suppress civilians and the humanitarian crisis worsens in one of the world’s most unstable regions.
