The death toll from a series of attacks by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to more than 80 in just one week, according to Congolese army officials and local civil society leaders. The most recent attack on Friday night, which targeted the villages of Masala, Mapasana, and Mahini, claimed 41 lives alone.
Lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo’s North Kivu province, attributed the attacks to members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group that originated in neighboring Uganda and has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The ADF is known for carrying out frequent assaults in the region, contributing to the instability in an area where multiple militant groups operate.
In addition to Friday’s attack, the ADF is suspected of being behind several other deadly incidents over the past week. On Tuesday, an attack on the village of Masawu killed 17 people, according to two civil society leaders. On Thursday, five bodies were discovered in the villages of Kabweli and Mamulese, while six more were found in a river in the village of Mununze. Earlier on Friday, 13 bodies were recovered in the village of Makobu.
During the Friday evening attacks, armed men wielding guns and machetes targeted residents of the villages in Beni territory. Local official Fabien Kakule reported that in addition to the 41 fatalities, nine people were injured, and a local health center was set ablaze.
The European Union’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Nabila Massrali, expressed concern over the recent violence, stating that “several dozen civilians have been victims of the ADF in eastern DRC in recent days.” She emphasized the urgent need to accelerate efforts to find a political solution, warning that “terrorist groups are taking advantage of the chaos to expand their hold on an already very unstable region.”
Former North Kivu governor Julien Paluku criticized the Congolese national government’s response to the insecurity in the east, stating that people have the impression of being “abandoned to their sad fate.” The government has yet to make an official statement on Friday’s attacks, and requests for comment from a government spokesman have gone unanswered.
As the death toll continues to rise and the region remains gripped by fear, the international community is calling for swift action to address the ongoing violence and instability in eastern Congo. The devastating attacks serve as a stark reminder of the urgent need for a comprehensive solution to the complex security challenges facing the region.
Credit: Reuters
