Lemouna and Koundjili

On 21 May 2019, the day of the attack, villagers in Loura reported seeing 14 motorbikes coming from Létélé (where 3R has a base) heading towards Lemouna-Koundjili, but only four returned. Just before noon, 14 motorbikes with around three uniformed elements on each – apart from one non-uniformed element - stopped in Lemouna village. In Lemouna, the villagers recognized some of them as 3R elements who come to the village for the market, or to harass the Fulani in their camp near to the town. This includes the three individuals handed over by 3R leadership to national authorities on 24 May. The 3R elements asked for the local youth leader and the village chief, claiming to want to speak to them in matters linked to cattle, but at the same time, several 3R elements rounded up all the males from the quartiers, tying 22 of them up in groups of two or three close to the village chief’s house. Any women who approached were sent away. They had not brought rope with them to tie up the individuals but asked for rope from the villagers and also used the clothes of some of the villagers.

Four of the motorbikes continued to Koundjili: two stopped at the entrance to the village while the other two went to the top. At the entrance to Koundjili, the 3R elements gathered together 13 males instructing them to lie down with their heads to the ground. Unlike in Lemouna, the villagers at the top of Koundjili had fled, leaving just a deaf child and a traveller who had just arrived in the village. The 3R killed these two civilians and looted a shop. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the village one of the group of 13 fled, at which time the execution of the other 12 began. Each person was shot with a bullet, leaving no wounded. A MINUSCA convoy arrived at this moment at the top of Koundjili at which time the 3R elements fled on their motorbikes for Lemouna.

When these same 3R elements then arrived in Lemouna, some eyewitnesses reported hearing the returning 3R elements shout at those who had remained there. Only on the arrival of these elements from Koundjili, did those remaining then proceeded to execute those who were tied up. In Lemouna several individuals still managed to flee and others were wounded. All 3R elements left at this time but some took different routes to return back to Létélé.

Incidents in the Bohong area

At the same time as the Koundjili and Lemouna killing, the 3R also carried out a series of attacks in the area to the south of Bohong. The origin of these attacks appeared to be once again several incidents involving Fulani herders. On 21 May, around 50 3R elements launched an attack against Bohong, killing at least nine civilians directly and wounding four others, with at least six others are believed to have died while fleeing the attack. On 22 May, a MINUSCA delegation convinced the 3R to withdraw from Bohong.