What You Need to Know
The United Nations reported that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed 89 civilians in a series of attacks in eastern Congo. The UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo described the assaults as extremely violent, occurring between November 13 and 19 in the Lubero region. Among the victims were women and children, prompting calls for independent investigations.
Africa. The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo announced that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), linked to the Islamic State, killed 89 civilians in attacks carried out over a week in the Lubero region of eastern Congo.
The UN mission (MONUSCO) stated in a report that the attacks, described as extremely violent, occurred between November 13 and 19 in several areas of the Lubero region, located north of North Kivu province.
The attacks targeted the Baberi area and the town of Baswaja, with the report noting that among the dead were 20 women and an unspecified number of children.
The report detailed that ADF militants killed at least 17 civilians, including women, in an attack on a health center run by the Catholic Church in the town of Biamboy, setting fire to four wards containing patients.
The UN mission’s statement highlighted that other violations committed by the rebels included kidnappings and looting of medical supplies.
Independent Investigations
MONUSCO urged the authorities in Kinshasa to immediately initiate independent investigations to identify the perpetrators of these massacres and their accomplices and bring them to justice, as stated in the report.
In July, the ADF attacked a Catholic church in the city of Komanda in Ituri province, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 38 people, according to officials at the time.
Since 2019, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several attacks by this faction, referred to as the “Islamic State – Central Africa Province.” The ADF was initially a rebel force in Uganda but has been based in the forests of neighboring Congo since the late 1990s.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has experienced armed conflicts for decades, particularly in the eastern region, which has been largely controlled by the M23 rebel movement.
Last Saturday, a peace agreement was signed in the Qatari capital between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the M23 movement, described as a historic opportunity to end the armed conflict in the country.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has been active in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the late 1990s, originally emerging as a rebel group in Uganda. The group has since pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and has been responsible for numerous violent attacks in eastern Congo, particularly in North Kivu province. The ongoing conflict in the region has led to significant civilian casualties and displacement, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
In recent years, the ADF has intensified its attacks, leading to increased international concern and calls for action. The UN has urged the Congolese government to conduct independent investigations into these atrocities,
