Armed Rebels Kill 89 Civilians In Eastern DR Congo

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels have killed 89 civilians in a string of attacks carried out over the past week in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the United Nations mission in the country.

The conflict-torn region continues to grapple with violence from multiple armed groups, including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who captured large territories in North and South Kivu earlier this year.

Further north of the M23-controlled areas, the ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel movement now aligned with the Islamic State, has intensified assaults across both provinces.

In a statement on Friday, MONUSCO described the ADF operations between November 13 and 19 around Lubero, North Kivu, as “particularly deadly.”

“The attacks in the Bapere and Baswagha chiefdoms resulted in the killing of 89 civilians, including at least 20 women and an undetermined number of children,” the mission said.

AFP reports that at least 15 people were killed in one of the attacks, while the local Red Cross estimated the toll at 23.

MONUSCO noted that several communities also suffered grave abuses, including mass abductions, looting of medical facilities, burning of homes and destruction of property.

Despite a joint military operation launched in 2021 between the Ugandan and Congolese armies to combat the ADF in North Kivu and Ituri, the rebels have largely evaded direct confrontation, and the violence has persisted.

According to AFP, more than 260 people, mostly civilians, have been killed by the ADF since July.