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Eighteen people were killed during clashes between Mobondo militiamen and the army in Kongo-Central, consistent sources indicated on Saturday September 16. The events allegedly happened last Tuesday in the Lulalumene sector, in Kimvula territory.
The news was given by a development actor in this sector, Merlin Nzeyemoko, and confirmed by the administrator of the Kimvula territory and sources close to the army.
According to Merlin Nzeyemoko, this heavy toll is the consequence of the low number of soldiers from the 12th military region, deployed in this sector plagued by insecurity.
One of the consequences of this insecurity, adds the same source, is that children in several localities have no longer been going to school since the beginning of this week.
After a lull, the situation has become even more worrying. The Mobondo militiamen have resurfaced in this part of Kongo-Central, where they are sowing terror and desolation in several localities.
The police sent to this locality, despite their small numbers, clashed on Tuesday September 12 at 4 a.m. with the Mobondo militia in the village of Fina. These clashes left eighteen dead:
military
three militiamen
fourteen civilians.
According to the same source, twenty people were also injured during these fighting.
The inhabitants of the village fled, fearing repeated incursions by militiamen.
Merlin Nzeyemoko is seeking support from the authorities to strengthen the FARDC team on site, because “there are still many militiamen”.
Finally, he believes that parliamentary candidates will have difficulty campaigning because of insecurity.
This assessment is confirmed by the administrator of the Kimvula territory, Vital Lusaku. The latter, however, says he is not in a position to identify the victims of these clashes at the moment, because the village where they took place is located nearly 160 kilometers from the capital of the Kimvula territory where he is based.
Sources close to the FARDC also confirm this assessment, without further details.
