An official has reported that militants allied with the Islamic State have killed 12 people in eastern Congo. The attack highlights the ongoing violence and instability in the region, which continues to face severe security challenges.
On Monday, a local official reported that Islamist State militants in the eastern region of Congo have slaughtered no less than 12 individuals across different North Kivu province villages.
On national television, the mayor of Mukonia, Nicole Kikuku reported that individuals from the Allied Democratic Forces ambushed citizens in the village on Saturday. The number of fatalities may increase as a few inhabitants are currently unaccounted for stated Mayor Kikuku.
The frequency of assaults by the Allied Democratic Forces has escalated in recent times. In North Kivu, last June, the faction killed no less than 40 individuals across numerous villages. There are also speculations that it was responsible for a massacre – primarily targeting students – which resulted in the deaths of 41 people in Uganda, its neighbouring country, last year.
READ ALSO: DR Congo Appoints Judith Suminwa Tuluka as First Female Prime Minister
Joint air and artillery strikes against the ADF in eastern Congo were launched by Uganda’s army in 2021.
For many years, Eastern Congo has been plagued with armed conflict as over 120 groups battle for control of resources and territory. These clashes often result in mass killings perpetrated by certain factions while others seek to protect their communities.
Nearly 7 million people have been displaced by the violence, with many being out of reach for aid assistance.
The United Nations peacekeeping operation in Congo, which aided the struggle against rebels for over 20 years but was instructed by the Congolese government to depart due to its failure to resolve the conflict, will finalize its evacuation before December of 2024. The process of removing all 15,000 personnel has already commenced and follows a regulated three-phase plan that started in South Kivu province.
For similar reasons, the East African regional force which was sent last year by the government to assist in ending the conflict has been instructed to depart from the nation.
