The Most Recent Brutal Incident In The Violence In Eastern Congo Claimed The Lives Of Two Charity Workers

The latest in a string of assaults on aid organizations and locals in the area, Tearfund, a foreign assistance organization, reported that two of its employees were slain when their convoy was attacked in the eastern Congo.

The charity stated in a statement late on Monday that the humanitarian workers were slain on Sunday after their convoy landed in Butembo city in North Kivu region, where armed rebels have been battling Congolese police troops.

Who was behind the attack was not immediately apparent. In the eastern Congo, over 120 armed factions have been waging war on locals, frequently using bombs, in an attempt to seize gold and other resources.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Congo said in a statement on Tuesday that more than 170 security incidents have targeted humanitarian workers, resulting in at least four fatalities and the kidnapping of over a dozen individuals. The statement also called for the protection of aid workers.

Bruno Lemarquis, the humanitarian coordinator for Congo, stated, “It is unacceptable that those working to help affected people are being attacked and killed at a time of immense humanitarian need.”