DR Congo Rebels Kill at Least 21 Over Christmas Week
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Loading... - Anthony Odoi
- 30 Dec 2024
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In an escalation of violence, Islamic State-linked ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) rebels have killed at least 21 people during the Christmas week in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Local sources reported the attacks, which occurred near Manguredjipa, a town known for its rich mineral deposits that are frequently targeted by the ADF.
The violence began on December 21, when ADF rebels launched an incursion into the village of Robinet in the Bapere sector of North Kivu province. According to Macaire Sivikunula, a representative for the Bapere sector’s governor, six people were killed on the spot during this initial attack. The following day, the rebels moved to the neighboring village of Kodjo, where they killed an additional 12 individuals.
On Christmas Day, the violence continued as ADF fighters attacked the village of Makele, located seven kilometers (four miles) from Manguredjipa, resulting in the deaths of three more people. Multiple local sources have confirmed the dates, locations, and casualty figures associated with these attacks.
The ADF, originally from Uganda, has been active in the DRC’s northeastern region since the mid-1990s, where they have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which now refers to them as its Islamic State Central Africa Province and claims responsibility for some of their attacks.
In response to the ongoing violence, Uganda and the DRC launched a joint military operation against the ADF at the end of 2021, dubbed “Shujaa.” However, this offensive has yet to successfully halt the rebels' attacks. While both armies have managed to push the ADF back into remote and inaccessible areas, local civilians remain vulnerable to the group's particularly violent tactics.
Sivikunula noted that despite the presence of Ugandan and Congolese forces in Manguredjipa, the scattered nature of the rebels—operating in small, dispersed groups—makes it challenging to locate them effectively.
In addition to the ADF threat, North Kivu province is also grappling with a separate insurgency from the Rwanda-backed M23 movement, which has been engaged in ongoing clashes with the DRC’s army following the failure of a peace summit in mid-December.
The eastern DRC, rich in mineral resources, has been plagued by decades of conflict among various armed groups, leading to a persistent cycle of violence and instability that continues to impact the lives of countless civilians in the region.
