The Islamic State announced today (Saturday) its responsibility for an attack on a village in eastern the Democratic Republic of Congo, which authorities said resulted in the deaths of around 20 people. The attack, which occurred yesterday (Friday) in the village of Musandaba on the outskirts of Beni, is part of a wave of violence against civilians that the military and local authorities attribute to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). This Ugandan group is based in eastern Congo and has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
Colonel Charles Omiunga, the military commander of the Beni area, stated, "We counted about 20 fatalities yesterday (Friday) in the village of Musandaba," accusing the ADF of carrying out the attack. A spokesperson for the army in the North Kivu province, where the attack occurred, indicated that the assailants used machetes "to avoid confrontation with the army." The attack took place in one of the two provinces afflicted by conflict, where Congo replaced civil authorities with military administrations over a year ago in an attempt to halt the violence.
