Ituri Province, DRC – A militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo has left six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers dead, according to a civil society group. The assault, which occurred on Wednesday, targeted the village of Gambala and the nearby “Camp Blanquette” gold mine.

Jean Robert Basiloko, a member of a local civil society group, reported that the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) militia claimed responsibility for the attack. CODECO, primarily composed of militia groups from the ethnic Lendu farming community, has been active in the region, contributing to ongoing violence.

Eastern Congo has been plagued by fighting between government forces and over 120 armed groups for decades. These conflicts often involve attacks on civilians as militias vie for control of the region’s rich resources, including gold. The situation has deteriorated in recent months, with security forces struggling to maintain order.

During the attack, militiamen set homes ablaze before targeting the mine, which was guarded by the Zaire Militia, a rival armed group. The attackers killed six Chinese miners, two Congolese soldiers, and abducted two other miners whose whereabouts are currently unknown.

The conflict between CODECO and the Zaire Militia is complex, involving both economic ambitions and power struggles. The Zaire Militia is a dissident faction that opposes its former allies within CODECO. According to the African Center for the Study and Research on Terrorism, CODECO’s attacks have killed nearly 1,800 people and wounded more than 500 over the past four years.

The United Nations has indicated that some of CODECO’s attacks could be classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity.