Over 50 civilians killed in wave of ADF rebel attacks in Eastern DR Congo

KATHMANDU: At least 50 civilians have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over the past week, according to local media and civil society sources.

Reports indicate that the violence has mainly affected villages across North Kivu and Ituri provinces, where the rebel group has intensified raids involving abductions, looting, arson, and mass killings of civilians.

On Sunday night alone, ADF fighters reportedly attacked the villages of Makumo and Mabuo in the Mambasa area of Ituri province, killing 15 people.

Several homes were set on fire, and multiple residents were reported missing following the assault, local civil society representatives said.

According to Radio Okapi, a UN-supported broadcaster, more than 20 villages in Mambasa territory have come under ADF attacks since March, leaving over 130 people dead in that period.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country has strongly condemned the recent violence targeting civilians in North Kivu and Ituri. However, the Congolese government has yet to issue an official statement on the latest incidents.

The ADF, affiliated with the Islamic State Central Africa Province, originated as a Ugandan rebel group. Since November 2021, joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces have been ongoing to dismantle the group, but local observers say the ADF continues to expand its influence and activity in eastern Congo despite sustained security operations.