Muthomi Ireri
Militants linked to the Islamic State group in eastern Congo have killed at least 12 people across several villages in North Kivu province, a local official reported on Monday.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) launched the attack in the village of Mukonia on Saturday, according to the municipality’s mayor, Nicole Kikuku, who spoke on national television. The mayor indicated that the death toll might rise, as several villagers remain missing.
The ADF has been increasingly active in recent months. In June, the group killed at least 40 people in multiple villages in North Kivu, and it is also suspected of orchestrating a massacre last year in neighboring Uganda, where 41 people, mostly students, were killed.
In 2021, Uganda’s army initiated joint air and artillery strikes against the ADF in eastern Congo, but violence continues to plague the region.
Eastern Congo has been marred by armed conflict for decades, with over 120 groups vying for power, land, and valuable minerals, while others claim to protect their communities. Some of these groups have been accused of mass killings. The ongoing violence has displaced nearly 7 million people, many of whom remain beyond the reach of humanitarian aid.
The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, which had been involved in combating rebel forces for over two decades, is set to withdraw by the end of 2024, following the Congolese government’s request due to the mission’s failure to resolve the conflict. The phased withdrawal of the 15,000-member force has already begun in South Kivu province. Additionally, the government has ordered an East African regional force, deployed last year to help quell the violence, to leave the country for similar reasons.
Dj Vnyash
Silverio Omari
