A local official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the head of a civil society organization, and a survivor announced today, Thursday, that attackers suspected to be "Islamic militants" killed at least 36 people in a nighttime assault on a village in the eastern part of the country.
The regional governor, Carly Nzanzu Kaseketa, accused the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) of being behind the attack. The attackers are believed to be members of the ADF, an armed Ugandan group that has been active in eastern Congo for decades. The group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and repeatedly carries out deadly assaults on villages, sometimes using machetes and axes.
The attack targeted the village of Mukondi, located about 30 kilometers south of the city of Beni in North Kivu province, which has been plagued by rebel movements and has been under military control since 2021 in an effort to restore order.
