At least 22 ethnic Teke civilians were killed in late November when militia fighters attacked a village in the western Democratic Republic of Congo, the latest episode of intercommunal violence that has plagued the region since 2022.

The massacre in Nkana village, located in Kwamouth territory roughly 75 kilometers northeast of the capital Kinshasa, was carried out by fighters from the Mobondo militia, which is aligned with the Yaka ethnic group. The Teke are indigenous to western Congo and have long-established customary land rights in the area. Human Rights Watch, which documented the attack in a report released Tuesday, said fighters armed with firearms and machetes killed “mostly ethnic Teke villagers in their homes as they attempted to flee.”

The attack was apparently triggered by the refusal of Teke residents to appoint a Yaka customary chief. In the days leading up to the assault, threatening messages were sent to some Teke villagers.

HRW described the killings as “an apparent retaliatory attack linked to rising intercommunal tensions.” The organization urged Congolese authorities to take immediate action to address the root causes of the violence. The organization warned that failure to act decisively risks entrenching cycles of revenge that could destabilize areas close to the capital.

Kwamouth territory has experienced repeated clashes between Yaka and Teke communities since June 2022, driven by disputes over land, customary authority, and political representation. The violence has drawn condemnation from civil society activists, human rights groups, and traditional authorities.

Following the attack, Congolese authorities deployed military personnel to the area and announced an investigation. Some lawmakers have called on the provincial assembly to adopt urgent measures to address the humanitarian crisis.  By Cecilia Akoko Attiogbe Atayi | U. Cape Coast Faculty of Law, GH