Congo-Kinshasa: Ituri - More Than 3,500 Civilians Find Refuge With Monusco in Gina

More than 3,500 civilians, including 1,850 women and 550 children, found refuge on Saturday, September 27, 2025, at MONUSCO's military base in Gina, in Djugu territory (Ituri). They were fleeing violent clashes between two rival militias that bloodied the region until late in the evening.

According to MONUSCO, hostilities began after fighters from the Convention for Popular Revolution (CRP), stemming from former warlord Thomas Lubanga, attacked a FARDC position at Matate, near the village of Nyampala. Repelled by the army, they were then targeted by Codeco militiamen in the locality of Tcha, not far from Gina. The clashes continued until around 8 p.m.

Fearing new violence, hundreds of families abandoned their homes. Some headed to MONUSCO's military base, while others retreated to the center of Gina, where peacekeepers and Congolese soldiers reinforced their patrols to protect the population.

An initial report indicated two wounded. The latest information communicated by MONUSCO on Sunday, September 28, reports three dead (two women and one man) and three wounded. The latter will be evacuated by helicopter to Bunia to receive appropriate care. In addition, several houses were burned in Liko, considered a CRP stronghold, and livestock was taken.

In the evening, the situation remained tense. Peacekeepers intensified their patrols in Gina Centre and along the axis leading to Tcha to prevent any new attack and reassure residents.

For several days, security has severely deteriorated in Djugu territory, marked by assassinations, fires, and kidnappings attributed to Codeco and CRP militiamen. This new outbreak of violence comes even as a peace process is underway. Six armed groups, including Codeco, have already signed acts of cessation of hostilities, the most recent concluded in Aru in June 2025 with MONUSCO's support. A mechanism to monitor these commitments is to be established in the coming weeks.

« MONUSCO is responsible for supporting the government in the fight against armed groups and in the protection of civilians. We have established early warning systems, we work together, we share information, and we support operations, », recently recalled Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of MONUSCO, at the end of a three-day visit to Ituri.

Read the original article on Monusco.