Congo (BN24) – Rebels affiliated with the Islamic State carried out a wave of massacres in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 52 civilians with machetes and hoes in the territories of Beni and Lubero, according to United Nations officials and local authorities.
The killings were attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist militia with longstanding ties to the Islamic State group. Lieutenant Elongo Kyondwa Marc, a regional spokesperson for Congo’s army, said the attacks were an act of revenge after the ADF suffered heavy losses in recent battles with government forces.
Local leaders described the scenes of horror. “When they arrived, they first woke the residents, gathered them in one place, tied them up with ropes, and then began to massacre them with machetes and hoes,” Macaire Sivikunula, chief of Lubero’s Bapere sector, told Reuters.
Alain Kiwewe, the military administrator for Lubero territory, confirmed that around 30 people were killed in the village of Melia alone. He said women and children were among the victims, many of whom were executed in their homes. Several houses were also torched during the assaults.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo, MONUSCO, condemned the violence “in the strongest possible terms,” noting that the death toll could climb higher as search operations continue. Officials said the confirmed fatalities so far include eight women and two children.
The ADF, which originated in neighboring Uganda, is one of several armed groups vying for control of eastern Congo’s vast mineral wealth. The region has endured decades of conflict, with civilians often bearing the brunt of the violence.
Congo’s army, supported by Ugandan forces, has intensified its offensive against the ADF in recent weeks. Still, the militia continues to strike back with lethal raids on villages. Just last month, ADF fighters stormed a church in eastern Congo, killing at least 38 worshippers.
Reuters
