49 Dead Bodies Found In Mass Graves In Eastern DR Congo After Militia Attack

The dead of 49 victims were discovered in mass graves in northeastern Congo following a weekend attack blamed on a local militia, the UN reported Wednesday.

Farhan Haq, the United Nations' deputy spokesperson, told reporters in New York that the graves had been discovered in two villages in Ituri province, roughly 19 miles (30 kilometres) east of the town of Bunia.

According to Haq, 42 corpses, including six children, were unearthed in a mass grave in the village of Nyamamba, while the bodies of seven more males were located in another community, Mbogi.

"Peacekeepers launched a patrol to the area immediately after receiving reports of attacks on civilians by the CODECO militias over the weekend. This is when they made the gruesome discoveries," Haq said in New York.

According to local officials, CODECO — Cooperative for the Development of Congo — insurgents seized a number of women during the raids on the communities.

Last June, seven CODECO groups declared an end to violence against people in Ituri, mostly in the Djugu zone, where they had been particularly active. Nonetheless, they have progressively restarted their attacks throughout the area.

According to the United Nations, at least 195 people have been killed in a series of attacks blamed on the CODECO militia and other armed groups since December. Fighting has displaced almost 1.5 million people in Ituri province.