By Our Reporter
NATIONAL
Hundreds of heavily armed Lendu militants fighting under CODECO – the Cooperative for Development of the Congo this week attacked a UPDF Battle Group stationed in Fataki, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for two consecutive days in an attempt to dislodge it and failed.
According to UPDF Acting Director of Public Defence Spokesperson, Col. Chris Magezi, the militias attacked the UPDF blocking force on Wednesday and Thursday in early morning raids (18-19 March 2025) but were repulsed on each occasion with the group sustaining heavy casualties in the process.
“31 militias were killed in action on Wednesday, and another 211 died on Thursday morning,” says Magezi.
The UPDF suffered one fatality, while 4 other soldiers were injured over the course of the attacks. The UPDF casualties have since been evacuated to the rear in Uganda for further management, with all the injured soldiers expected to recover.
The UPDF deployed in the area a few weeks ago to prevent fleeing ADF remnants from infiltrating the region while escaping mounting pressure from the joint forces of UPDF and FARDC under Operation Shujaa.
The CODECO militias recently struck a pact with the ADF terrorist group and have over the last few months stepped up violent attacks against other Congolese communities in the Ituri Province region, especially those from the Hema ethnic group.
The massacres at the hands of ruthless CODECO militias have left hundreds of Hema people dead, mainly women and children. Entire habitat villages have been left torched, looted, and destroyed.
The UPDF presence in Fataki, as well as in the neighboring provincial towns of Bunia and Mahagi has come as a welcome relief to the local communities in the area who for years have endured relentless attacks against them by Lendu and allied militia groups.
The UPDF deployments in the northern Ituri region is also expected to stem the flow of refugees, hundreds of whom have been crossing the international border into Uganda for several weeks now seeking safety and protection.
