Army Authorities have confirmed that at least 43 people have been killed in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebel group linked to ISIL in Northeast Democratic Republic of Congo.
Democratic Republic of Congo Regional Army spokesperson Lt Jules Tshikudi Ngongo confirmed the death saying that at least 43 compatriots were killed and 44 houses burnt to ashes in Bafwakoa, located in Mambasa Territory, in the Province of Ituri.
The Army has struggled to contain the group, as it battles several other rebel groups in the east, the most prominent one being the Rwandan-backed M23, which last year seized Goma, the largest city in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as well as several other major cities.
Baptiste Munyapandi, territorial administrator of Mambasa, told journalists that search operations were continuing and that the death toll could rise.
A local customary official in Mambasa territory, Christian Alimasi told journalists that houses were set on fire, some victims were killed with machetes, while others burned in their homes, and two people were abducted
This comes at a time when authorities jave indicated that the number of ADF fighters in Democratic Republic of Congo is unclear, but there is a significant presence in the region.
ADF attacks on civilians have intensified in recent months in parts of Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu province, despite joint Congolese-Ugandan military operations against the group launched in 2021 and last year, the ADF killed 66 people and abducted several more in a neighbouring area.
The Congolese Army spokesperson, told journalists that the ADF avoids direct combat with the Army and all its partners and that’s why they attack the population in a way that sabotages peace efforts and acts of revenge against the population.
