The death toll from two attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has risen to at least 18, with 14 people still missing. The assaults, which occurred on Saturday in Beni territory within North Kivu province, were attributed to ADF rebels affiliated with the Islamic State. A local civil society leader confirmed that the number of deaths was revised from 10 to 18.
He also mentioned that 14 people are missing, and noted that four houses and two motorcycles were set on fire. Another local leader, Charles Endukado, indicated that the death toll from the attacks exceeds 18. He added that no one can collect the bodies still lying on the ground. The ADF, initially a group of Ugandan Muslim rebels, has been operating in eastern DRC for the past three decades, causing thousands of civilian casualties.
In 2019, the group aligned itself with the Islamic State, which now considers them its Central African branch. The ADF was also held responsible for an attack at the end of July that killed 20 people. By mid-June, local officials reported that 150 individuals had been killed in ADF-related attacks in eastern DRC since the beginning of the month.
Although Congolese and Ugandan forces have been carrying out joint operations against the ADF in North Kivu and the neighboring Ituri province since late 2021, they have yet to stop the violent assaults on civilians.
