Plaine Savo massacre
On 2 February 2022, over 60 civilians from the Hema ethnic group[2] were killed in a massacre in Djugu territory, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[3]
| Plaine Savo massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Ituri conflict | |
  Plaine Savo massacre (Democratic Republic of the Congo) | |
| Location | Plaine Savo, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Coordinates | 1°45′44″N 30°35′25″E |
| Date | February 2, 2022 02:00[1] (CAT (UTC+02:00)) |
| Target | Hema people |
Attack type | Mass murder of internally displaced people |
| Weapons | machetes and edged weapons, guns |
| Deaths | 60+ |
| Injured | ~40 |
| Perpetrators | CODECO |
| Motive | Nomadic conflict, ethnic cleansing |
During the early hours, CODECO insurgents armed with machetes and edged weapons[4] attacked Plaine Savo, a camp for internally displaced people in the northeast of the country in which around 4,000 people live.[3] Forces from the Congolese military made contact with the CODECO militia prior to the attack but were bypassed when the assailants changed direction.[5]
"I first heard cries when I was still in bed. Then several minutes of gunshots. I fled and I saw torches and people crying for help and I realised it was the CODECO militiamen who had invaded our site." – Local resident[4]
Four people, including the chief of the Bahema N’adhere community, were hospitalized.[4]