United Nations peacekeepers in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo intervened on Sunday to halt an armed incursion by the CODECO militia in the town of Gina, Ituri province, leaving six civilians dead and four others wounded.
According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, the incident occurred about 30km northeast of Bunia, when the UN Mission’s Temporary Operating Base in Gina responded to gunfire from the town center.
A patrol was dispatched and came under attack by armed elements. Peacekeepers fired 16 deterrent rounds, forcing the assailants to retreat.
A second patrol joined the operation, securing the town center and market area.
There, peacekeepers discovered the bodies of three women, two men, and a child, five of whom had been killed inside a shop.
Four injured civilians were given first aid and evacuated to a local health facility.
Following the attack, residents gathered at the UN base seeking protection. The mission has since increased patrols in and around Gina to deter further violence and reassure the population.
The CODECO militia has been active in Ituri for years, and its attacks have been blamed for repeated waves of civilian casualties and displacement in the region.
