Islamic State-affiliated rebels have carried out a series of attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Lubero territory, resulting in the deaths of 89 civilians, as reported by the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, known as MONUSCO. The attacks, which took place between November 13 and November 19 in various localities of North Kivu province, included the killing of at least 20 women and an unknown number of children. Among the incidents cited, one involved an assault on a health center run by the Catholic Church in Byambwe, where 17 individuals were killed, including women seeking maternity care, and four patient wards were set ablaze by the rebels. The rebels also engaged in abductions and looting of medical supplies.
In response to these atrocities, MONUSCO has called on Congolese authorities to promptly launch thorough investigations to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these massacres. Local officials had previously reported a separate incident where suspected ADF rebels killed 19 civilians in the village of Mukondo in North Kivu province. Furthermore, in September, the ADF claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that resulted in the deaths of more than 60 civilians at a funeral in eastern Congo.
Originating as a rebel group in Uganda, the ADF has been operating in the forests of neighboring Congo since the late 1990s and is acknowledged by Islamic State as an affiliate. Despite efforts by the Congolese army and Ugandan forces to combat the ADF, the group’s violent activities persist. Additionally, sections of North Kivu province are controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who made significant territorial gains this year. Various mediators, including the United States and Qatar, are working towards brokering peace in this conflict, with hopes of attracting Western investments in the region’s mining sector.