At least eight people were killed in an armed attack attributed to Mai-Mai militiamen targeting a camp of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in Kyubo Mamba, Mitwaba territory, Haut-Katanga Province, on the morning of Sunday, August 2.
According to local sources, around ten other people were injured, including a pregnant woman. The victims included two FARDC soldiers and six civilians, among them the wife of a soldier and five children. Several of the victims reportedly died in a fire that broke out during the attack.
The same sources said the assailants launched their assault between 5:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. After opening fire on the military camp, they allegedly set several homes in the community ablaze before withdrawing.
Military Reinforcements Deployed
Following the attack, FARDC reinforcements were dispatched from the town of Mitwaba, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Kyubo Mamba. Their mission is to secure the area and pursue the attackers, who reportedly retreated shortly after carrying out the assault. As of the time of publication, provincial authorities had not yet issued an official statement on the incident.
The latest attack comes just months after another armed incursion in March at Lusinga Station, the headquarters of Upemba National Park, also located in Mitwaba territory. That assault, carried out by unidentified armed men, left several people dead, caused significant property damage and resulted in the looting of the park's weapons and ammunition depot. The recurrence of such attacks has heightened concerns among local residents over the persistent insecurity affecting this part of Haut-Katanga Province.
