DJUGU, Ituri Province — Friday, December 12, 2025 — Civilians, including at least three children, were reportedly killed on Friday, December 12, 2025, following an aerial bombardment that struck residential areas in Djugu territory, Ituri Province, triggering outrage among local socio-political actors and renewed calls for accountability.
According to a statement released the same day by Byaru del’Ituri1, areas known as Mbidjo and Nouveau, located in the Bahema Badjeré chieftaincy, were bombarded in an operation allegedly involving the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO.
The group said the attack caused extensive material damage and loss of life, with civilians bearing the heaviest toll.
Preliminary information cited in the statement indicated that bombs were dropped on the affected neighborhoods, killing several civilians.
Among the victims were three children under the age of 18, while many other residents were injured. The exact number of casualties has not yet been independently verified.
The communiqué strongly condemned the attack, describing it as a serious assault on the civilian population of Ituri.
It accused MONUSCO of repeated involvement in operations resulting in civilian deaths, raising questions about the mission’s role as a peacekeeping force.
The group demanded the immediate cessation of such attacks and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
It also appealed to the international community to take urgent measures to protect civilians and halt the violence.
As of publication, neither FARDC nor MONUSCO had publicly responded to the allegations.
Observers say the reported killing of children highlights the continued vulnerability of civilians in Ituri, where years of conflict and ongoing military operations have exacted a heavy human cost.