Government Officials have confirmed that at least 60 people have been killed while attending a funeral in the conflict-ridden Eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in an ISIL-affiliated group attack carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces.
A local administrator of the Lubero territory in Ntoyo, North Kivu, where the attack took place, Col Alain Kiwewa told journalists that the victims were caught off guard at a mourning ceremon and that the majority of them were “killed with machetes while others were shot dead.
The mineral-rich Kivu region has been a flashpoint for months as the Democratic Republic of Congo and allied groups have been battling the Rwanda-backed M23 group, and has dozens of armed groups operating there.
Allied Defence Forces has taken advantage of the volatile security situation to expand its operations has carried out a series of deadly attacks this year.
According to the United Nations peacekeeping force stationed in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at the end of July this year, ADF attacked a Catholic church, killing more than 40 people and kidnapping between 12 and 14 and another attack in August, the rebel group killed 52 people, carrying out kidnappings, looting the burning of houses, vehicles and motorcycles as well as the destruction of property.
UN investigators said last week that gross rights violations, possibly including war crimes and crimes against humanity, may have been committed by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia and the Congolese military and its affiliates in Eastern Democraric Republic Congo.
A fact-finding mission by the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday last week that it has determined that all sides in the devastating conflict had committed abuses since late 2024, including summary executions and rampant sexual violence in the provinces of North and South Kivu.
According to UN experts, the Allied Democratic Alliance group is believed to be made up of about 1,000 to 1,500 members and includes foreign fighters who rely on light arms, machetes, mortars and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to carry out their attacks.
Additional Reporting from Associated Press.
