BENI, DR CONGO — At least 21 people were killed in a series of attacks this week by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels linked to the Islamic State in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said Saturday.
The attacks occurred near Manguredjipa, a town in North Kivu province known for its mineral deposits. On December 21, ADF fighters raided the village of Robinet, killing six people, according to Macaire Sivikunula, a local official.
The following day, 12 people were killed in the nearby village of Kodjo. On Christmas Day, three more were killed in Makele, a village about seven kilometers from Manguredjipa, Sivikunula reported.
The ADF, originally from Uganda, has operated in the DRC’s northeast since the mid-1990s and has been responsible for widespread civilian deaths. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which claims some of its attacks under the Islamic State Central Africa Province.
A joint military operation by Uganda and the DRC launched in 2021 has failed to curb ADF activity. The group operates in remote areas, leaving civilians vulnerable to sporadic attacks. Sivikunula said efforts to locate the rebels are hampered by their scattered formations.
North Kivu also faces escalating conflict in its southern region, where the Rwandan-backed M23 movement has clashed with the Congolese army following the breakdown of peace talks earlier this month.
