Rebels attack a gold mine in eastern Congo, killing at least 12 people

By JEAN-YVES KAMALE
Associated Press

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — A civil society organization says that at least a dozen people were killed and 16 kidnapped by rebels at a mining site in eastern Congo. Rebels from the CODECO armed group attacked a gold mine Wednesday near Djugu district in Ituri province. Violence has been surging across eastern Congo, where conflict has flared for decades. More than 120 armed groups are fighting in the region, most for land and control of mines with valuable minerals, while some groups are trying to protect their communities. CODECO is a loose association of ethnic Lendu militia groups. Since 2017 it has been fighting with Zaire, a mainly ethnic Hema self-defense group.