Security: DR Congo
Armed attackers struck the Plaine Savo camp for displaced people in eastern Congo on Sunday 8 November 2026, killing at least three people and wounding 15, according to Lole Salomon, president of the local civil society. OCHA, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, has so far reported a lower figure of at least five wounded civilians near the camp, so the toll remains provisional.
Plaine Savo lies in Djugu territory, Ituri province, and shelters more than 76,000 people who fled earlier violence. The attack matters beyond Congo because it has halted an aid assessment and threatens the health teams fighting an Ebola outbreak in the same region.
Key Facts
•Where. Plaine Savo camp, Djugu territory, Ituri province, north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
•When. Sunday 8 November 2026, as worshippers gathered for Sunday Mass.
•Toll. Three dead, including two women, and 15 wounded, among them children (provisional local count).
•Camp. More than 76,000 displaced people shelter at the site.
•Open. Who attacked the camp is not confirmed, and the UN has so far reported only five wounded.
What Happened at Plaine Savo
Shooting and bombardments spread panic among displaced families, many of them gathered for Sunday Mass, Lole Salomon said on Tuesday 10 November. He said the dead include two mothers and that the wounded include several minors.
Peacekeepers of MONUSCO, the United Nations stabilisation mission in Congo, took all 15 wounded to the general referral hospital in Fataki, Salomon said. He also reported that more than 11 houses burned in the villages of Salo, Luko and Gali, and that a six-year-old child is believed to have been abducted.
Authorities of Djugu territory had not commented by Tuesday 10 November. The area’s military administrator, the army officer who runs the territory, could not be reached.
What the United Nations Says
Alain Akpadji, the acting UN humanitarian coordinator for Congo, said on Monday 9 November that he was gravely concerned by violence reported since 8 November in the Fataki health zone. In a statement from OCHA, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, he condemned all violence against civilians and said all parties must protect them.
OCHA reported at least five civilians wounded in clashes near the camp on 8 November, and an exchange of fire in the town of Fataki, about 25 kilometres away. It said a humanitarian assessment mission in the area had been suspended, after movement restrictions on aid workers that began in late October.
The two wounded counts, 15 and five, differ, and neither has been independently verified. We therefore present the higher figure as the local civil society’s count and the lower one as the UN’s reported minimum.
Army and CRP Militia Clash in Djugu
Congo’s army, known as the FARDC, has been fighting the CRP since Sunday in several places in Djugu, local civil society reports. The CRP is an armed group whose name stands for Convention for the Popular Revolution.
The same sources say the army is trying to dislodge the group, including around Guju, where it is said to have set up a training centre for recruits. They also say some displaced people have fled towards MONUSCO bases and Ugandan soldiers deployed nearby; none of this has been confirmed by the army or the UN, and the reports do not say who attacked the camp.
Why It Matters Beyond Ituri
Plaine Savo shelters more than 76,000 people, so fighting near it puts a very large number of civilians at risk. OCHA warned that the deterioration comes while health authorities and partners continue the Ebola response in the region, and it urged all sides to let aid and health workers reach affected people.
Our report on the Ebola outbreak, Congo’s Ebola hotspot, explains where the disease is now spreading. You can find more in our DR Congo coverage and in our practical guide to living in Congo.
The site has been attacked before, and in February 2022 a raid on Plaine Savo killed dozens of displaced people. Aid agencies at the time condemned the killings.
What Is Not Known
It is not known who carried out the attack, or whether it is linked to the fighting between the army and the CRP. The final toll is also open, since the local count of wounded and the UN figure differ.
The fate of the child reported abducted is unknown. Authorities in Djugu have not given their own account.
What It Means for You
Travel to Ituri and the east of Congo remains dangerous, and aid agencies have already restricted their movements there. Readers tracking the Ebola outbreak should watch whether the suspended assessment mission and the health teams regain access to the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at Plaine Savo?
Armed attackers struck the displacement camp on Sunday 8 November 2026. Local civil society reports three dead and 15 wounded, while the UN reports at least five wounded.
Who is responsible for the attack?
This is not confirmed. The army has been fighting the CRP armed group in Djugu since 8 November, but the reports do not link it to the camp attack.
Where is Plaine Savo?
It is a camp in Djugu territory, Ituri province, in north-eastern Congo. According to the UN, more than 76,000 displaced people shelter there.
Sources: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), statement of the acting humanitarian coordinator, 9 November 2026 (OCHA Democratic Republic of the Congo); Lole Salomon, president of the local civil society of Plaine Savo, 10 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error