MONUC and the Multinational Force dispatched
Tuesday 5 August 2003 a joint assessment mission to Nyanda, 20 km northeast
of Bunia, following allegations on an attack perpetrated early morning
in that territory.
According to eyewitnesses, a 150-armed
elements group accompanied by civilians, attacked the village of Nyanda
and its environs at about 5h 30. Nine people were killed in the attack,
mostly women and children. An injured kid was evacuated to Bunia by helicopter.
Several houses were torched and some cattle were stolen. According to the
eyewitnesses' allegations, the attack was perpetrated by the Lendu from
the village of Loga, in the East of Nyanda, under control of the Forces
Nationalistes Intégrationnistes (FNI) armed group.
The attack follows the one on Fataki and Bule early last week, and the ones on Tchomia, Kasenyi, Drodro, Nizi and Largo last July. According to eyewitnesses, they were all allegedly perpetrated by FNI elements.
MONUC and the Multinational Force Joint Assessment Mission were accompanied by a representative of the Lendu groups, member of the verification mechanism whose aim is to prevent possible fighting between armed groups in Ituri.