ISIS-linked rebels massacre 52 civilians in Congo
Shafaq News – Kinshasa
At least 52 civilians have been killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group aligned with ISIS, the UN and local officials said on Monday.
Army spokesman Lt. Elongo Kyondwa Marks said the ADF carried out the massacres with machetes and axes in the Beni and Lubero areas after suffering losses in clashes with Congolese forces. “The rebels retaliated against civilians,” he stated.
A local official described the attacks as deliberate and brutal: “When they arrived, they first woke the villagers, tied them with ropes, and then began killing them with machetes and axes.”
Alan Kiyoyi, the military official responsible for Lubero, told Reuters that about 30 people were killed in the village of Meliya alone. “Among the victims were children and women slaughtered inside their homes, while several houses were set on fire,” he said.
The UN mission in Congo, MONUSCO, condemned the killings, confirming that at least 52 civilians, including eight women and two children, were killed in ADF raids between August 9 and 16. The death toll could rise as searches continue.
The ADF is one of dozens of armed groups operating in mineral-rich eastern Congo. In late July, it killed 38 people in an attack on a church in eastern Congo. The Congolese army, supported by Uganda, has stepped up operations against the group in recent weeks.
DR Congo: Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Overview- Founded 1995 to topple Museveni and impose Sharia.- Led by Musa Seka Baluku, pledged to ISIS in 2019 as IS-CAP.- Force of 1,200–1,500, financed by ISIS funds and illicit gold/coltan trade. pic.twitter.com/AOWyz7eXIN
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