Militant groups brutally attacked a camp for the displaced in eastern Congo, resulting in the deaths of at least 60 people. Officials said the marauding militants used guns and machetes to kill the displaced people, many of whom were women and children.
The brutal attack was among the worst ever to happen in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Families at the makeshift camp had fled their homes and farms to escape the dozens of militant groups wreaking havoc in major towns across the country. Unfortunately, one group was able to find the camp and attacked several people as they slept inside their tents.
The attack occurred at the Plaine Savo camp in Ituri province on Tuesday. Authorities said several people were hacked to death while they were still inside their tents. The horrible act of violence stunned Africa's second-largest country, where a wave of atrocities has uprooted, destroyed, and left people in desperate need of humanitarian aid.
The region is one of the poorest in the world, with rampant corruption and poor governance resulting in public unrest and violence. Human rights organizations estimate that there are now about 120 armed militant groups operating in the easter provinces of the country. The organization said human rights violations are now commonplace in eastern Congo.
Caritas Congo, the organization that ran the camp, said that more than 50 people were seriously injured during the attack. The group said at least 16 children and nine women were murdered during the Tuesday night raid. Some videos of the brutal scene were uploaded by survivors online, some of which showed many people with deep cuts on their heads and necks.
The Congolese Army said a group called the Cooperative for Development of Congo (CODECO) was responsible for the attack. Officials said they had already deployed troops to the camp to restore order and investigate. United Nations Peacekeepers reportedly exchanged fire CODECO militias when they arrived to secure the area.
The United Nations and the U.S. ambassador to Congo, Mike Hammer, condemned the attacks, describing the incident as an "unforgivable" act. Hammer said officials should work to bring the perpetrators to justice.
The attack on the camp is the latest to happen in the mineral-rich region. Militant groups often attack settlements and villages to loot, pillage, kill, and rape. The last attack occurred in May last year, wherein 55 people were killed after militant groups simultaneously attacked two villages in Ituri Province.
The United Nations refugee agency estimated that about 5.6 million people remain displaced in Congo. The organization said that more than a million others are registered refugees who have sought asylum in other countries.
