MONUSCO Evacuates Over 150 Civilians from Djugu Conflict Zone

Djugu, Ituri, January 9, 2026 - In the past month, MONUSCO has evacuated 152 vulnerable people from the Bule region of Djugu territory to Bunia amid ongoing clashes between the FARDC (Armed Forces of the DRC) and militias of the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CRP) led by Thomas Lubanga. The commander of the Bangladeshi peacekeepers deployed with MONUSCO reported the operations on Thursday, January 8, during a meeting with a UN mission delegation in Bayo. The evacuated individuals include wounded soldiers, humanitarian workers, priests, medical personnel, teachers, and other at-risk civilians. Evacuations were carried out via vehicle, helicopter, and armored tank. To strengthen civilian protection, Bangladeshi peacekeepers conducted 152 combat patrols over the past month in the Savo Plain, where thousands of families have been displaced by the conflict. The fighting, ongoing since December 5, 2025, has severely impacted Bule-Centre in the Badjere chiefdom, which has been largely reduced to a ghost town as FARDC and CRP militias contest control. Through these operations, MONUSCO reaffirms its support for the FARDC in efforts to restore peace in the region and highlights the continued intensification of patrols to protect civilians in accordance with its mandate.