Democratic Republic of Congo. Doctors without borders: there are more atrocities in a terrifying conflict

In the province of Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRK) there are more and more atrocities. The victims, who are trying to help, among others, doctors without borders, have “terrifying injuries” – the organization alerts.

In the communication of the organization, doctors without borders emphasized that the inhabitants of ITURI, where there are rich deposits of gold, were both a direct goal of acts of violence and random victims of the conflict, which “combines violence, social antagonisms and (responsible for them – ed.) Parmilitarian organizations.”

Read also: Rich deposits and gold mines. Rebels from M23 won Walikale

Unlike the northern Kiwu and the southern Kiwu provinces located more south, where the DRK government army is fighting rebels from the March 23 movement, the conflict in Ituri has a different ground.

Congish troops supported by government forces Uganda They fight there related to the so -called Islamic state armed grouping of allied democratic forces (ADF).

Attacks on children, women, medical facilities and churches

Doctors without borders emphasized that the number of displaced people is systematically growing and humanitarian aid shrinks. According to UN Since the beginning of the year, about 100,000 have left the houses. people, over 250 civilians and in January and February.

The organization announced that in the previous month “medical teams of doctors without borders treated children aged 4 years and pregnant women wounded with machetes and bullets in militant attacks”.

The organization emphasized that the purpose of the attacks is also medical facilities. She said that one of her hospitals, threatened by armed groups, had to suspend his activities. Several other centers were “partially or completely destroyed”.

At the end of February, the Open Doors organization, which monitors the persecution of Christians in the world, announced that Islamists from ADF made a massacre in one of the Protestant churches in Ituri.

In the village of Maika on Lake Edward, they cut their heads to 70 people, including women and children. The current conflict in Ituri, which has been going on since the end of 2021, is the second in the 21st century. The previous one, from 1999-2003, caused thousands of fatalities, and was only completed by the intervention of European troops.

Five former African presidents with mediators

Five African leaders were appointed mediators in conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRK). This group was established on Monday by two regional organizations of the Eastern African community (EAC) and the South African development community (SADC) to “facilitate” the peace process, as reported in a joint statement issued on Tuesday.

The mediator team was included in the former President of Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatt, former president of South Africa KGalema Motlanthe, former president of the Central African Republic Catherine Samba and former president Ethiopia Sahle-working call.

This decision was taken after Angola's withdrawal from the role of a key mediator, who was surprised by the unexpected meeting of President Drk Feliks Tshisekenedi with President Rwanda Paul Kagame in Cathar last week.