The United Nations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo put forward on Friday September 11 a lower provisional toll of the two massacres in Ituri (north-east) than that of the Congolese authorities who reported 58 victims.
"
We do not have confirmation of the figures,
" a UN source told AFP.
"
For now, we can confirm that on September 9, there were 12 people who were killed
."
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Provincial Interior Minister Adjio Gidi told AFP on Thursday that 23 people were killed on Tuesday and 35 on Thursday, in Irumu territory in southern Ituri.
The provincial minister attributed this double massacre to the Ugandan armed group of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
"
It does not seem to us that this is the ADF
", continues the UN source, according to whom the violence is linked to "
inter-community conflicts
".
The victims are said to be a Hutu community present in the region.
The ADF carried out attacks in the area on September 5 and 6 "
with two people who were killed
", and on September 8 "
with three who were killed
", according to the United Nations.
A rapid reaction brigade from the United Nations Mission in Congo (Monusco) “
went there yesterday (Thursday) with the Congolese army.
We will send a joint mission next week
”.
"
On September 8 and September 10, there were attacks, I confirm,
" said the provincial Minister of the Interior, again contacted by AFP on Friday evening.
“
Regardless of the figures, you have to know that there were massacres.
We killed people.
People have moved,
”he added, referring to civilians fleeing the violence.
"
We presume that it is the ADF, because they are very active
" in the area, he added on the authors.
The United Nations are studying with local authorities "
the possibilities of going down on the ground to verify if all the data received are correct
", he said.
The events took place in “
the Tshabi area, a forest area so research is very difficult,
” a civil society source said Thursday.
