The rebels arrived in the villages on Monday night, with machetes and firearms, and looted property and set houses on fire, Radio Okapi reported.

In Fataki locals were brutally killed, totalling nine women and a seven-year-old child, while in Jina seven Codeco militiamen were fatally shot by members of the armed group Zaïre, and three civilians were killed.

Codeco has been active in recent days in the territory of Djugu, in Ituri, and on Saturday even blocked national road 27, between Bunia and Mahagi, when they fired to cause panic and took eight motorcycle passengers as hostages.

Traffic resumed on Sunday following the intervention of some traditional chiefs in the region, but the whereabouts of the hostages are still unknown.

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