A 3 day dialogue(funded by MONUSCO) of consultation" of the Lendu community of the chiefdom of Welendu Watsi in ITURI.Main issue is to discuss the CODECO militias and their attrocities.

This Saturday, June 20, 2020, that a delegation of the provincial government launched in Mahagi, "a dialogue of consultation" of the Lendu community of the chiefdom of Welendu Watsi on the insecurity caused by the CODECO militias,plus other criminal groups.
At the head of this delegation,is the Minister to the Governor in charge of ITPR, Bule and the Minister of the Interior and Security, Adjio Gidi, accompanied by the legal adviser to the provincial governor, who stays in this territory.
This 3-day consultation, funded by Monusco, brings together local chefs and some notables of Bbale. This comes after finding that the Mahagi territory is exposed and runs a permanent risk of insecurity as we and other entities continue alerting the gorvenments of such a risk.
This is why, in his wordd, Minister Adjio "challenged the Lendu people has to restore their tarnished image".
Since the beginning of the atrocities in Djugu and Mahagi, several dialogues have been organized by the Central and Provincial governments, with the aim of seeking peace. But until then, the CODECO militia continues to massacre the Iturian population.

CODECO militias continue terrorizing ITURI in DRC

Alleged Codeco militiamen kidnapped
3 electricians from the company Electrokimo, the branch of Sokimo which manages the hydroelectric plant of Budana which supplies the city of Bunia and the surrounding area with electrical energy.
The fact occurred earlier this week on the road to Nyangarai, said engineer Fabrice Bozene head of the electricity network in this state-owned company.
"They were sent to repair the high-voltage line that goes to Mungwalu, but armed men kidnapped them. The security services are already on the job to try to find them "he said.
According to him, the kidnappers who contacted officials of Electrokimo demand a ransom before releasing the 3 technicians who would be exposed to atrocious torture.
The Codeco attackers have multiplied kidnapping acts for ransom in this region.
Earlier this month, a civil society actor in Bambu was kidnapped before being shot dead for lack of ransom payment by his family.
Also  in the morning of Friday, June 19, 2020, men in the arms identified with CODECO militiamen ambushed the Djalasiga-Mahagi road more than 80 km west of downtown Mahagi.
Arnold Lokwa, chief of chiefdom of Panduru's reports, indicates that the attackers looted two bikers before burning down a few huts but didn't specifying the exact number.
Then they disappeared into the wild at the level of the village Ukurokwodo.
"They were seen in Umu on the Djalasiga-Mahagi road. They were youths with sharp edged weapons, on their way, they just looted the money from the motorcycle riders and released them, "he said.
This section connecting the locality of Djalasiga to the rural commune of Mahagi has been insecure since the atrocities recorded by the Anghal 2 group during the past few months.

A commission has been established to identify immigrants in Irumu territory of Iturii

The provincial governor  of ituri signed a decree this week establishing a commission to identify migrant populations in southern Irumu territory.
Among the migrants concerned, there are in particular the Hutu who speak kinyarwanda, commonly called "Banyabwisha" who came in search of arable land and who are established in the chiefdoms of Boga, Tchabi and Mitego from North Kivu.
There are also Ugandan herders called “Bakonzo” who cross the Semuliki River in this same region in search of pasture for their livestock.
"His Excellency the Governor of the Province, the Honorable Jean Bamanisa Saidi has just issued an order establishing a commission to identify and identify migrant populations called Banyabwisha and Bakonzo" said the provincial Minister of the Interior during afrom talk to the press.
Adjio Gidi clarified that among the missions assigned to this commission, there is in particular the location, identification and census of these people and acquire necessary information on the causes of their mass migration in this part of the country.
It will also be necessary to note the neighborhood conditions between these migrants and the local populations in order to assess the need for their settlement in the area.
Several groups of the Ituri population, including national deputies, women, and other vital forces had already decried the massive arrival of these migrants, suspecting them of being at the root of the insecurity currently experienced in the territories. by Djugu, Mahagi, Irumu and Mambasa.
It is since 2012 that waves of Banyabwisha populations from North Kivu via Beni arrived in big numbers to establish themselves in ituri while their origin and even their notionality are often questioned by the natives who often suspect them of be Rwandan refugees expelled from Tanzania.

5 people killed by alleged CODECO militias in Lodja

The night of Wednesday to Thursday, June 18, 2020, the locality of Lodja in the Walendu Pitsi sector, Djugu territory was  attacked  by alleged CODECO militias .
The local civil society  puts forward an assessment of five (5) people killed, several houses burned down and property of the population looted.
"There were 5 deaths, mostly children and women, this is what happened," said Jules Tsuba.
This is the second attack recorded in the region in this week. On June 16, the army announced that it had neutralized 15 rebels belonging to this group responsible for several abuses against the civilian population since December 2017.

The Canadian Partnership for International Justice (PCJI) has written to the International Criminal Court (ICC) asking it to investigate former President Joseph Kabila and his government's senior officials for alleged crimes

In a June 17 letter to the Office of the Attorney, these Canadian lawyers asked him to seriously address the role and responsibility of Joseph Kabila and his administration. They talk about atrocities including killings, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and forced disappearance.

"The continuing impunity of these crimes has contributed to a climate of fear and an alarming increase in violence in the DRC, on the basis of rumors that Kabila would consider returning to power", writes the lawyer group.

The letter signed by 17 other experts and civil society organizations reflects the voices of Congolese and international human rights organizations that have arrested the ICC.

They call on the International Criminal Court to act without delay in order to honour its commitment to fight impunity.

Security sources in Djugu territory apparently have confirmed the persistent rumors that have been circulating for several weeks about the creation of a new armed group called Zaire which aims to fight the CODECO

According to our sources now! Security sources in Djugu territory apparently have confirmed the persistent rumors that have been circulating for several weeks about the creation of a new armed group called Zaire which aims to fight the CODECO militiamen responsible for several abuses against the population civil.

This new group will be or is located in the chiefdoms of Bahema Badjere and Mambisa under the financial support of certain economic operators in the area.

"On May 18, 2020, around 3 p.m., the young men of a self-defense militia called Zaire had or raided Mbidjo, a trading center located at the border between the chiefdoms of Bahema Badjere, Walendu Djatsi and Mabendi where they erected barriers to demand money from passers-by, ”explains our source, who requested anonymity.

It adds that on the same date, these men managed to snatch 3 weapons of war from the hands of FARDC soldiers stationed in the locality of Simbi.

Barriers erected by these militiamen who collect sums ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 FC required for pedestrians and motorcycle drivers are visible on the following axes:

Akwe-Damascus-Makofi

Akwe-Mundo-Ngazba

Akwe-Nyaka-Dhego

Still to believe our source, since the beginning of May, the security authorities have received signals concerning the actions of these young armed men.

"On May 07, 2020, young people with AK47-type weapons from the village Akwe, a Dhego group in chiefdom of Bahema Badjere burnt down 5 houses in the Isiro village among the Mabendi. In reprisal, the CODECO militiamen made an incursion the following day in this Akwe village where they burned the houses and looted several goods belonging to the population "confides our source who adds:

"Also, as of May 10, young people from this self-defense militia managed to repel CODECO combatants who were trying to make an incursion into the Dala village in Mambisa chiefdom, killing ten among the attackers."

CODECO militias steal NGOs vehicles

CODECO assailants steal two vehicles belonging to international NGOs on the Kpandroma-Buda road axis in Djugu territory.

The fact happened the morning of Wednesday, June 17, 2020 says over the phone.

According to our source, the rebels intercepted the two vehicles in Gokpa village, more than 3 km from the Kpandroma shopping center, forced the drivers to transport them to their destination, before releasing them later.

"They stole the vehicles but they have already released them. It was only for quick intervention to get them to their destination. They did no harm to the drivers or their passengers, "said our source.

We tried unsuccessfully to collect the version of the NGOs concerned, or that of the army spokesperson in Ituri.