At least 52 civilians have been killed in a string of attacks by Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials and the United Nations said on Monday.
The killings, which took place between August 9 and 16 in Beni and Lubero territories, were described as systematic and brutal. Witnesses reported that fighters armed with machetes and hoes stormed villages at night, roused residents from their homes, tied them up, and executed them in groups.
“In some cases, they gathered people in one place, tied them with ropes, and then began to massacre them with machetes and hoes,” said Macaire Sivikunula, chief of Lubero’s Bapere sector.
According to Lubero’s military administrator, Alain Kiwewe, at least 30 people were killed in the village of Melia alone. He said women and children were among the victims, with some murdered inside their homes and several houses set ablaze.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) condemned the attacks “in the strongest possible terms,” confirming that the dead included eight women and two children. Officials warned the toll could rise as search efforts continue.
Military authorities said the assaults were carried out in retaliation for recent battlefield losses suffered by ADF fighters. “The rebels were taking revenge on civilians after defeats by our forces,” said regional army spokesperson Lt. Elongo Kyondwa Marc.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel group, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and is among the most violent armed groups operating in eastern DRC. Despite ongoing joint offensives by Congolese and Ugandan troops, it continues to stage deadly attacks, including an assault on a church last month that left 38 worshippers dead.
The latest killings highlight the worsening security crisis in the region, where civilians remain caught between military operations and retaliatory rebel violence.
