Number of Civilians Massacred in DR Congo’s Beni Region Surpasses 1,000 in Twelve Months
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At least 21 people were massacred around 4am on Saturday and more than 20 kidnapped in latest attack on region close to Beni, a troubled DR Congo area.
Among those killed include 15 women. An entire village in area called Lisasa was pillaged and set ablaze. All the basic medical equipment in the local health center was taken. Also, the Catholic parish was set on fire.
The area is north of provincial capital Goma, and according to government, is where bases of Ugandan Islamist ADF rebels have operated for years. The government forces have been battling the rebels, and other groups since last year, but with not much to show.
According to local NGO CEPADHO which has been compiling data of the massacres, the government offensive was incidentally launched October 30, 2019.
Since then, to this Saturday October 31, a total of 1,004 civilians have been massacred in the same region, says the NGO.
What is shocking for local observers in that 24 hours earlier, 23 people were killed in same area by the suspected ADF rebels.
The massacres do not show any signs of stopping despite tens of thousands of Government troops assisted by another thousands of UN troops.
As if the chaos there isn’t enough, in the wee hours of October 20, more than 1,300 prisoners broke out of the Kangbayi prison in Beni.
