Islamic State-affiliated insurgents have reportedly carried out attacks resulting in the deaths of 89 civilians in various incidents within the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lubero territory. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the region, MONUSCO, disclosed this information on Friday. The assaults were perpetrated by militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) across multiple areas in North Kivu province between November 13 and November 19. Among the victims were 20 women and an unspecified number of children, as stated by MONUSCO.
One of the ruthless attacks involved the raid on a health facility managed by the Catholic Church in Byambwe. This violent act resulted in the deaths of at least 17 individuals, including women seeking maternity care, and the destruction of four patient wards. The rebels also engaged in further transgressions such as abductions and pillaging of medical provisions, according to the information provided.
In response to these atrocities, MONUSCO has called upon the Congolese authorities to promptly launch thorough and unbiased investigations to identify the culprits and their associates involved in these massacres, emphasizing the need to hold them accountable under the law. Local officials had previously reported to Reuters about a separate incident where suspected ADF rebels killed 19 civilians in an overnight assault in the village of Mukondo.
The ADF, originally established as a rebel faction in Uganda, has been operating from the forests of Congo since the late 1990s. Acknowledged as an affiliate by the Islamic State, the group has been responsible for numerous deadly attacks in the region. Despite efforts by the Congolese army and Ugandan forces to combat the ADF, the group’s violent activities persist.
In related developments, parts of North Kivu province are currently under the influence of M23 rebels backed by Rwanda, who made significant territorial gains this year. International mediators, including the United States and Qatar, are actively engaged in peace negotiations to resolve the conflict, with hopes that a peaceful resolution will pave the way for increased Western investments in the mining sector.