CODECO stands for Cooperative for the Development of Congo. It is a loose coalition of armed militia groups operating mainly in Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
CODECO is largely associated with sections of the Lendu community, though it is not a single centralised organisation. It is made up of different factions that operate across parts of Ituri, especially in areas such as Djugu, Mahagi and nearby territories.
It is frequently in news because of attacks on civilians, displacement camps, villages and rival communities in eastern DRC.
Background
CODECO originally began as a local agricultural cooperative linked with Lendu interests. Over time, especially during the Ituri conflict, it transformed into an armed militia network.
The roots of CODECO violence are linked with the older Hema–Lendu conflict in Ituri. The Hema are often associated with pastoral livelihoods, while the Lendu are largely farming communities. But the conflict is not only ethnic. It also involves land rights, political control, local power, minerals, armed mobilisation and weak state authority.
Eastern DRC has suffered from decades of violence. More than 120 armed groups operate across conflict-affected eastern provinces such as Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika, according to Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect.
Area of Operation
CODECO mainly operates in Ituri province, especially in the north-eastern part of DRC.
Its activity is concentrated around:
• Djugu territory
• Mahagi territory
• Irumu territory
• Areas around Bunia
• Displacement camps and rural villages
Ituri’s location near Uganda and South Sudan makes the conflict regionally sensitive. Armed activity, refugee movement, mineral smuggling and cross-border insecurity can affect the wider Great Lakes region.
Nature of Violence
CODECO has been accused of serious violence against civilians, including killings, village burnings, attacks on displacement camps and forced displacement.
Recent reports show that CODECO-linked militia groups remain active. In May 2026, security officials said CODECO fighters killed at least 69 people in Ituri province.
Earlier, in 2025, AP reported that CODECO militiamen attacked a displacement camp in Djangi village in Ituri’s Djugu territory, killing 11 people, including women and children. The report also noted that the UN has considered some CODECO actions as possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
This shows that CODECO is not merely a local armed group. It is part of a wider pattern of civilian-targeted violence in eastern DRC.
Link with Conflict Minerals
Ituri is rich in resources, especially gold. Armed groups in the region often benefit from illegal mining, taxation of trade routes, looting and control over local economic activity.
CODECO’s violence must therefore be seen through the link between:
• Land conflict
• Ethnic mobilisation
• Gold mining
• Weak governance
• Armed group financing
• Regional insecurity
This is why Ituri is often discussed under the concept of conflict minerals, where natural resources finance violence instead of development.
Humanitarian Impact
CODECO’s activities have created a major humanitarian crisis in Ituri.
Villagers are often forced to flee their homes and live in camps or host communities. Repeated attacks disrupt farming, trade, schooling and healthcare.
The humanitarian impact includes:
• Mass displacement
• Food insecurity
• Attacks on civilians
• Sexual violence
• Burning of villages
• Loss of livelihoods
• Child protection risks
• Pressure on humanitarian agencies
The impact is severe because many people in Ituri depend on agriculture. When villages are attacked and fields are abandoned, food insecurity increases.
Response by State and MONUSCO
The Congolese army has conducted operations against CODECO, but state control remains weak in many rural areas.
MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, is also active in Ituri. It supports civilian protection and has intervened in some attacks, but the scale of violence and number of armed groups make stabilisation difficult.
Local peace deals and ceasefire efforts have been attempted, but CODECO’s loose factional structure makes enforcement difficult. Even if one faction agrees to stop fighting, other groups may continue violence.
Why CODECO Matters
CODECO matters because it represents the deeper crisis of eastern DRC.
It shows how weak state authority, ethnic tensions, land disputes, illegal mining and armed mobilisation combine to produce long-term violence.
For UPSC-style international relations and security analysis, CODECO can be used as an example of:
• Non-state armed groups
• Conflict minerals
• Fragile states
• Ethnic conflict
• Humanitarian crisis
• UN peacekeeping limitations
• Resource curse in Africa
• Regional instability in the Great Lakes region
Conclusion
CODECO is a Lendu-linked militia coalition active in Ituri province of DRC. Its violence reflects the wider instability of eastern Congo, where land disputes, ethnic tensions, gold resources, weak governance and armed groups have produced one of Africa’s most serious humanitarian crises.
