At least 12 people were killed in new attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources reported on Wednesday. The overnight raids targeted the villages of Bilendu and Mangoya, leaving eight and four dead respectively, with homes set ablaze in both locations.
These assaults follow a string of deadly ADF attacks during the Christmas period that claimed 21 lives in the same region.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel group, has operated in northeastern DRC since the 1990s. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which now refers to the group as its Central Africa Province. The ADF’s brutal tactics have killed thousands over the years.
Despite a joint military operation launched by Uganda and DR Congo in 2021, dubbed “Shujaa,” the offensive has struggled to halt the group’s violence. The rebels have retreated into remote areas, where they continue to terrorize local populations.
