Kinshasa, DRC – (African Boulevard News) – At least 13 civilians were killed in a camp for displaced people in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a region plagued by ongoing violence and conflict.
According to local authorities, the attack occurred at a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the territory of Masisi, located in North Kivu province. Armed assailants opened fire on the camp at around 2am, killing at least 13 people, including women and children, and injuring several others.
This latest atrocity has been attributed to armed groups operating in the region, including the notorious M23 rebel group, which has been involved in sporadic clashes with government forces and other militias since 2013. The group was officially disbanded in 2014 after a peace deal was signed with the government, but some members continue to operate in the area.
The attack has been condemned by local authorities and humanitarian organizations, who have called for an immediate end to the violence in the region. The United Nations peacekeeping force in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, has also pledged to support efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“This senseless attack on innocent civilians is a stark reminder of the ongoing instability and violence in eastern DRC,” said Evariste Boshab, a political analyst based in Kinshasa. “It is imperative that the government takes swift action to bring those responsible to justice and to address the root causes of the conflict.”
The deteriorating security situation in the region has led to a sharp increase in the number of people displaced from their homes, with over 5 million people currently listed as IDPs in the DRC. Humanitarian organizations working in the area have been struggling to provide assistance to those affected by the conflict, with many facing logistical and security challenges.
The attack on the IDP camp comes just weeks after a similar incident in the nearby town of Beni, where over 20 civilians were killed by suspected rebels in an overnight raid. The latest violence highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive strategy to address the root causes of the conflict and to provide much-needed support to affected communities.
As the DRC government and international partners continue to grapple with the ongoing crisis in the east, it is clear that more needs to be done to protect vulnerable populations and to ensure that those responsible for these atrocities are held accountable.
