KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo
At least 250 armed militants in the Ituri province have been killed since mid-May, the head of the UN’s Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) said.
MONUSCO chief Martin Kobler said, during a recent press conference, that the militants were allegedly associated with the Front for Patriotic Resistance of Ituri (FRPI).
The FRPI was established in 2002 in Ituri, a province located in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s northeastern region, with the aim of claiming a stake in the country’s rich natural resources.
Gen. Jean Claude Bongangwela of the DRC army stressed the possibility of forging a deal with the separatist group if its fighters were willing to lay downs their arms.
"Our door is always open to separatists who want to surrender and participate in the disarmament process," Bongangwela said.
