Death toll rises after attack on church in east Congo church
Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator, said: 'The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church.'
At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani, where a search is ongoing.
'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told reporters.
Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes.
The military has confirmed at least 10 fatalities, while local media reports put the total death toll at more than 40.
Mr Duranthabo said attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1am. Several houses and shops were also burnt.
Lt Jules Ngongo, a Congolese army spokesperson in Ituri province, confirmed 10 were killed in the church attack.
Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock.
A UN-backed radio station said 43 people were killed, citing security sources. It said the attackers came from a stronghold around seven miles from the centre of Komanda and fled before security forces could arrive.
Mr Duranthabo condemned the attack 'in a town where all the security officials are present'.
He added: 'We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town.'
Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels.
The ADF, which has ties to the so-called Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians.
The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath.
The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni.
In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighbouring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), which has long struggled against the rebel group, has been facing attacks since the renewed hostilities between the Rwanda-backed M23.
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We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the diplomatic efforts of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now. The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay. Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. We call on the Israeli Government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN and humanitarian NGOs to carry out their work in order to take action against starvation. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law. We firmly oppose all efforts to impose Israeli sovereignty over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Threats of annexation, settlements and acts of settler violence against Palestinians undermine the prospects for a negotiated two-state solution. We are committed to working together with our international partners including at the United Nations to develop a specific and credible plan for the next phase in Gaza that will put in place transitional governance and security arrangements, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid at scale. This must be accompanied by the withdrawal of Israeli forces and the removal of Hamas leadership, as key steps towards a negotiated two-state solution. We stand ready to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political process that leads to lasting security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region.
