DR Congo conflict: Codeco armed group ramp up attacks in Ituri province

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00:00 Once bustling with patients, the wards of the Drojo village hospital are now completely empty.

00:06 Strolling through deserted corridors, Dr. James Samir is one of the few who decided to stay behind

00:12 following a recent surge in violence in eastern DRC's Ituri province.

00:16 "Since mid-March, the population has fled the area.

00:21 People were scared with everything that was going on in the region, even our patients left."

00:28 Locals began fleeing the area in March ahead of a rumoured advance by Kodeko,

00:33 an armed group claiming to defend the interests of local Lendu communities.

00:37 Many sought refuge in camps scattered across Ituri province,

00:41 which provided scant protection against further attacks.

00:44 "Our village was attacked by armed men. I escaped to a camp nearby,

00:51 but that camp was also targeted and I had to flee again. That's why I came here."

00:57 In the Roe refugee camp, now the size of a small town,

01:00 health workers were doing their best to provide medical care,

01:04 but also much-needed psychological support.

01:06 "These are traumatic experiences for them. Some were victims of sexual violence.

01:14 Others saw people being killed or maimed. That's why they need our support."

01:22 A farmers' cooperative turned militia, Kodeko is one of dozens of armed groups

01:27 that have destabilized eastern DRC in the past two decades. According to the United Nations,

01:32 over 500,000 people have been displaced in Ituri province alone since the start of the year.

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