On 2 February 2022, over 60 civilians from the Hema ethnic group[2] were killed in a massacre in Djugu territory, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[3]

Plaine Savo massacre
Part of Ituri conflict
Plaine Savo massacre is located in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Plaine Savo massacre
Plaine Savo massacre (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
LocationPlaine Savo, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates1°45′44″N 30°35′25″E / 1.7623126196388175°N 30.590396816857126°E / 1.7623126196388175; 30.590396816857126
DateFebruary 2, 2022 (2022-02-02)
02:00[1] (CAT (UTC+02:00))
TargetHema people
Attack type
Mass murder of internally displaced people
Weaponsmachetes and edged weapons, guns
Deaths60+
Injured~40
PerpetratorsCODECO
MotiveNomadic conflict, ethnic cleansing

During the early hours, CODECO insurgents armed with machetes and edged weapons[4] attacked Plaine Savo, a camp for internally displaced people in the northeast of the country in which around 4,000 people live.[3] Forces from the Congolese military made contact with the CODECO militia prior to the attack but were bypassed when the assailants changed direction.[5]

"I first heard cries when I was still in bed. Then several minutes of gunshots. I fled and I saw torches and people crying for help and I realised it was the CODECO militiamen who had invaded our site." – Local resident[4]

Four people, including the chief of the Bahema N’adhere community, were hospitalized.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Dozens massacred in DR Congo camp raid". Mozambique. Archived from the original on 2022-04-04. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
  2. ^ "Women, children among villagers killed in DR Congo massacre". Women, children among villagers killed in DR Congo massacre. Archived from the original on 2022-02-20. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  3. ^ a b "DRC militia kills dozens in attack on camp for displaced people". The Independent. 2022-02-02. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  4. ^ a b c "Knife-wielding attackers kill dozens in eastern DRC raid". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on 2022-02-03. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  5. ^ Kambale, Erikas Mwisi (2 February 2022), At least 60 people killed in militia attack in eastern DR Congo, Reuters, archived from the original on 2022-05-01, retrieved 2022-05-01