Attack by Allied Democratic Forces Claims 32 Lives in North Kivu, DRC
At least 32 civilians were killed in the village of Meria, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, during an attack on Friday attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group with ties to the Islamic State (IS), reports 24brussels.
The mayor of Kayna confirmed the massacre, describing it as a horrific incident that calls for urgent intervention from provincial and national authorities. “What just happened is horrible. We call for an urgent intervention by provincial and national authorities,” said Mayor Kanyahuru, who noted that the casualty count could rise as search efforts continue.
Access to the area of the attack remains perilous, delaying rescue operations. “We have not yet been able to access the area of the massacre because it is still dangerous. But members of the Armed Forces of the DRC are already informed and deployed in the area. Surely tomorrow we will be able to access it,” Kanyahuru added.
In the wake of this brutal assault, the ADF has escalated its attacks on civilians even as North Kivu grapples with the presence of multiple armed groups, including the M23, which is allegedly supported by the Rwandan Army. The United Nations has stated that the M23 controls significant portions of this resource-rich province, further complicating the security landscape.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan militia, has established bases in North Kivu and Ituri, conducting frequent raids that instill fear among local populations. Uganda has also accused the group of orchestrating attacks within its borders, prompting joint military operations between the Ugandan and Congolese armed forces since November 2021.
Despite the ADF’s association with ISIS, which occasionally claims responsibility for some of their actions, UN Security Council experts have not found conclusive evidence of direct support from the jihadist group. However, the United States officially designated the ADF as a terrorist organization affiliated with ISIS in March 2021.
The eastern DRC has been embroiled in conflict since 1998, a situation exacerbated by the presence of over a hundred rebel factions alongside the army, despite ongoing peacekeeping efforts by the UN mission, Monusco.
