Militia kills at least 51 civilians in east Congo village attack. 

We have some disturbing news coming in from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an Armed militia attack has left at least 51 civilians dead.

The Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militants launched a brutal attack on a cluster of villages in the eastern part of the country. The attack, which started on Monday evening in the Djaiba group village, involved setting houses on fire, shooting bullets, and beheading residents with machetes.

Local authorities and civil society leaders have confirmed the death toll, with some reports suggesting it could be higher as bodies continue to be retrieved. The attack has left many more injured and displaced.

The night before, CODECO carried out an attack on a local camp for internally displaced people before being repelled by the U.N. peacekeeping force known as MONUSCO.

According to Jean Vianney, The head of the cluster of villages located in Djugu territory in Ituri province, CODECO militants carried out the attack, which started at around 8 p.m. on Monday, killing 52 people.

Jean Vianney said, and I quote: “There are people injured, many burnt to death in their homes,” he said, adding that Congolese soldiers and U.N. peacekeepers stationed in the area did not intervene.

Floribert Byaruhanga, an MP for Djugu territory, said the death toll, including 18 children, currently stood at 51.

CODECO is one of several militias fighting over land and resources in east Congo. The group has frequently targeted displacement camps and has been accused by the United Nations of attacks against other communities that could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The attack has raised questions about the effectiveness of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the region and the ability of the Congolese military to protect civilians.