Rebels Attack Police Post, Force Evacuation Of 30 Officers In DR Congo
During an attack on the Alunde Police post in December, several arms were taken away by the assailants.
An attack by militia on a police post in Alundu village which led to the death of three police officers, has forced authorities in Milimba, the Fizi upper plateau of North Kivu, DR Congo, to evacuate 30 police officers deployed to the area, Police said.
According to Assani Muzinga, commander of the Milimba police, the police officers who were recently deployed in the area had become the regular targets of armed groups who had been treating them as foreigners.
HumAngle learnt that only police officers who have served in the area for long and are considered close to the local communities are welcome in Milimba.
“These police officers were altogether 32 elements. Twenty-four were transferred here in Milimba and eight to Kilicha,” Muzinga said.
They were those brought by the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) by helicopter.
The police commander said however, that since their presence, there has been so much panic within the population who alleged that these police officers are Rwandans.
“But we have tried to show to the population that they are our colleagues who have come to work with us,” he explained.
During an attack on the Police post in Alundu in December, several arms were taken away by the assailants.
“On December 30, our post was attacked by Mai-Mai Yakotumba rebels whom we identified some days after the attack,” the Police Commander stated.
“We lost three police officers and three others were wounded. On the side of the militia, we were told they lost one person with three wounded.”
“That is why from January 4, our hierarchy decided to evacuate the police officers to Baraka since they were considered targets for attacks. We have remained here with the old team.”
Similar Police units were deployed to several localities in the Upper Plateau namely Mwenga, Fizi and Uvira and especially in Minembwe, Mikenge, Bibokoboko, Kipupu and Bijombo, to reinforce security.
On Dec. 30, 2021, an armed gang identified as Mai-Mai Yakotumba attacked the police post in Milimba killing three police officers and wounding three others. They took away eight guns.
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