At least 72 people are killed in a militia attack near Congo’s capital in the course of a land conflict.

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — At least 72 people, including nine soldiers and a soldier’s wife, were killed when gunmen attacked a village in western Congo, local authorities said, as violence between rival communities increases.

Saturday’s attack occurred in the village of Kinsele, about 100 kilometers east of the capital Kinshasa. Due to insecurity and poor infrastructure in the region, it can take several days for attacks to be reported.

Kinsele is located in the Kwamouth area, where conflicts between the Teke and Yaka communities have been raging for two years, leaving hundreds of civilian dead.

The attackers belonged to the Mobondo militia, a group that claims to be defenders of the Yaka people.

“The search continues and we are finding more bodies in the bush,” said David Bisaka, the provincial MP for the Kwamouth area, in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. He added that for the second time in a week the army had managed to “drive off this militia.” The Mobondo militia first tried to attack the village on Friday.

Among those killed on Saturday were nine soldiers and the wife of one soldier, village chief Stanys Liby told the United Nations-funded radio station Okapi.

The conflict over land and customary rights in Kwamouth Territory erupted in June 2022 between so-called “indigenous” and “non-indigenous” communities, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch.

Tensions arose between the Teke, the historical inhabitants of the region, and farmers of various other ethnic groups, including the Yaka, who more recently settled near the Congo River.

Despite a ceasefire in April 2024 in the presence of Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, clashes between communities have continued and have even worsened in recent weeks.

Congo’s Defense Minister Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita visited Kwango province, where the attacked village is located, on Monday to “get an on-site picture of the reality,” the ministry said on the social media platform X.

“Kwango province is the last security barrier to access to the city of Kinshasa,” the ministry said, adding that the minister had promised to “spare no effort” to take action against the militia.

Congo’s army is also struggling to contain violence in the east of the country, where fighting has been going on for decades between government troops and more than 120 armed groups, many of which want a share of the region’s gold and other raw materials.

Violence in the east has increased in recent months. Earlier this month, six Chinese miners and two Congolese soldiers were killed in a militia attack on a gold mine in northeastern Congo.

Associated Press, The Associated Press