Attacks by Rebels in Eastern Congo Leave at Least 18 Dead and 14 Missing
The death toll from two attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, affiliated with the jihadist group Islamic State, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has climbed to at least eighteen dead and fourteen missing, according to local sources. The attacks occurred on Saturday in the Beni territory, in the troubled province of North Kivu.
Increased Casualties and Damages
Kinos Katuo, a leader of the local civil society, stated that the casualties from Saturday’s ADF attacks in the Mamove area have risen from ten to eighteen people killed. He also mentioned that four houses and two motorcycles were set on fire. Another local official, Charles Endukado, reported that the death toll is even higher than eighteen, but recovering the bodies that still lie on the ground is proving to be difficult.
Rebel Activities and International Response
The ADF, originally composed mainly of Ugandan Muslim rebels, have been operating in eastern DRC for three decades, where they have established a presence and killed thousands of civilians. In 2019, they pledged allegiance to the jihadist group Islamic State, which considers them its Central African branch. The ADF have been accused of carrying out an attack in late July that resulted in twenty deaths.
Since late 2021, the Congolese and Ugandan armies have been conducting joint operations against the ADF in North Kivu and the neighboring Ituri province, but have so far been unsuccessful in preventing deadly attacks against civilians. The group has perpetrated numerous massacres of civilians in the DRC and has also carried out attacks in neighboring Uganda.
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