General information
Type of Incompatibility: Not applicable
Date of first battle related death: 2018-02-16
Date of conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: 2019-05-15
Comment on conflict reached 25 battle releated deaths: URDPC first became active as an actor in one-sided violence in 2019, when the one-sided violence resulted in more than 25 civilian deaths. The threshold was reached in May that year when 19 corpses were found in the village of Tara on the edge of Lake Albert.
Annual information
This section contains annual information systematically collected by the UCDP.
2017
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 0 |
| Best | 0 |
| Low | 0 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2018
Primary Parties: -
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 4 |
| Best | 4 |
| Low | 4 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2019
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 179 |
| Best | 170 |
| Low | 133 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2020
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 582 |
| Best | 468 |
| Low | 453 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2021
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 419 |
| Best | 410 |
| Low | 403 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2022
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 613 |
| Best | 595 |
| Low | 557 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2023
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 792 |
| Best | 760 |
| Low | 733 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2024
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 371 |
| Best | 340 |
| Low | 295 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
2025
Primary Parties: URDPC - Civilians
Dimension: One-sided
| Estimated Fatalities | |
|---|---|
| High | 427 |
| Best | 425 |
| Low | 398 |
Numbers include fatalities for all dyads both active and inactive for this year
Conflict Archive
This section contains annual information no longer systematically collected by the UCDP.
2017 Conflict Archive
Terminated: NO
2018 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2018, URDPC did not reach the threshold for inclusion in one-sided violence data; however, several incidents of violence involving suspected group members were reported in Djugu territory, Ituri province. Violence during the year was sporadic and concentrated in rural and mining areas, involving attacks on civilians, security forces, and local economic targets. These incidents occurred in a broader context of rising intercommunal tensions and insecurity between Hema and Lendu communities.
One set of incidents occurred in late November in Djugu territory, where armed actors attacked several villages including Lodjo, Galayi, and Laudjo. Civilians, including business owners and traders, were killed during raids on shops and settlements, and property was looted.
Terminated: NO
2019 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2019, URDPC carried out one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, particularly in Djugu territory along the shores of Lake Albert. Violence was characterised by attacks on fishing communities and riverine settlements, including kidnappings, killings, and targeted raids on civilians in remote lakefront areas. These attacks contributed to growing insecurity and repeated displacement in an already volatile context of intercommunal violence between Hema and Lendu communities.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in May in Tara village, where URDPC elements attacked fishermen and civilians gathered at a fish market, killing at least several people and abducting others, with additional bodies later recovered in the area. A further major incident took place in December in Kango fishing camp, where URDPC allegedly kidnapped civilians and killed several others, with reports of multiple fatalities and several individuals remaining missing. Victims were taken during surprise attacks on small fishing settlements along Lake Albert, reflecting the vulnerability of isolated civilian populations.
Throughout the year, violence against civilians remained concentrated in lake-adjacent areas of Djugu territory, involving raids, abductions, and killings of civilians in fishing camps and rural settlements. The attacks contributed to population displacement, including movement away from lakeshore villages.
Terminated: NO
2020 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2020, URDPC carried out one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, with repeated attacks in Djugu and Mahagi territories. Violence was characterised by incursions into rural villages, often involving killings of civilians in their homes and during flight, as well as widespread destruction of property.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred in late February in Digeni village, Djugu territory, where URDPC elements killed more than twenty civilians, including children. Many victims were killed with machetes and firearms, and reports indicate that several were decapitated during the attack. A further major incident occurred in May in Mahagi territory, where dozens of bodies were discovered following a series of incursions attributed to URDPC.
Throughout the year, violence against civilians remained concentrated in Djugu and and Mahagi, with repeated raids on villages contributing to large-scale displacement and insecurity. Attacks were often carried out in a highly brutal manner, including killings inside IDP camps.
Terminated: NO
2021 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2021, URDPC carried out continued one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, with repeated attacks on villages and internally displaced persons sites in Djugu territory. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in Drodro and surrounding areas, where URDPC/CODECO elements targeted displaced civilians, killing dozens of people and setting fire to homes, shops, and community infrastructure, including religious and health facilities.
Throughout the year, violence was characterised by raids on villages and displacement sites, often involving the use of firearms and machetes, as well as looting and the burning of property. Civilians were deliberately targeted during attacks and while attempting to flee, leading to significant casualties and repeated waves of displacement.
Terminated: NO
2022 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2022, URDPC carried out sustained one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, with repeated large-scale attacks targeting internally displaced persons and rural communities. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in Djugu territory, where suspected URDPC elements attacked a displacement site in Plaine Savo, killing dozens of civilians, many of them women and children, and injuring many others. Victims were primarily killed with machetes, and shelters were set on fire during the assault.
Throughout the year, violence was characterised by attacks on vulnerable populations, including displaced persons camps, as well as the destruction of homes and property. Civilians were deliberately targeted in coordinated raids, contributing to widespread displacement and insecurity despite the ongoing state of siege and the presence of military and UN forces in the region.
Terminated: NO
2023 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2023, URDPC carried out extensive one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, with attacks reaching their highest recorded level. Violence included large-scale massacres and deliberate attacks on internally displaced persons sites, highlighting a pattern of targeting particularly vulnerable populations. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in June in Djugu territory, when URDPC elements attacked a displacement camp in Lala, killing dozens of civilians, many of them women and children, and burning hundreds of shelters.
Throughout the year, attacks were characterised by the use of firearms and machetes, as well as the destruction of homes and livelihoods. Civilians, primarily from the Hema community, were systematically targeted, and large-scale displacement continued. The intensity and scale of violence in 2023 marked a peak in URDPC’s one-sided attacks against civilians.
Terminated: NO
2024 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2024, URDPC continued to carry out one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, with repeated attacks on villages in Djugu territory and surrounding areas. Several large-scale incidents involved coordinated assaults on predominantly Hema communities, where civilians were killed with machetes and firearms, and homes were looted and burned. Some of the deadliest attacks occurred in areas near mining zones and in villages such as Bianda and Lodjo.
Throughout the year, attacks often targeted multiple villages over short periods of time, leading to significant civilian casualties, displacement, and reports of mass graves. Violence remained widespread and persistent, with civilians deliberately targeted and armed actors maintaining a continued presence in affected areas despite military operations.
Terminated: NO
2025 Conflict Archive
Comment on Activity: During 2025, URDPC continued to carry out one-sided violence against civilians in Ituri province, including large-scale and coordinated attacks on villages and displaced populations. One of the deadliest incidents occurred in February in Djugu territory, when URDPC elements launched night-time attacks on several Hema villages around Djaiba after bypassing a protected displacement site. The attackers, reportedly joined by local Lendu civilians, carried out coordinated assaults involving shootings, machete attacks, and the burning of homes, resulting in high civilian casualties and widespread displacement. Civilians, including internally displaced persons living with host families, were deliberately targeted, and entire communities fled following repeated attacks in the area.
Throughout the year, violence remained characterised by massacres, village burnings, and attacks on vulnerable populations, indicating both sustained operational capacity and continued targeting of civilians despite the presence of security forces and UN peacekeepers.
Terminated: NO
