Islamic State-backed rebels killed at least 52 people in eastern Congo, UN says
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GOMA, Congo (AP) — Attacks blamed on an Islamic State-backed rebel group in eastern Congo killed at least 52 people this month, the U.N. peacekeeping mission to the central African country said Monday.
The attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, took place Aug. 9-16 in the Beni and Lubero territories of the North Kivu province, the U.N. mission MONUSCO said in a statement.
“The violence was accompanied by abductions, looting, the burning of homes, vehicles, and motorcycles, as well as the destruction of property belonging to populations already facing dire humanitarian conditions,” the statement said.
The U.N. mission said the death toll of at least 52 was likely to rise.
Eastern Congo has suffered several deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates along the border with Uganda and often targets civilians.
Authorities said the group killed nearly 40 people in the Ituri province last month, when it stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshipers, including many women and children.
The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following discontent with President Yoweri Museveni.
In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been held responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
The Congolese army has long struggled to contain the group, especially while also confronting renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda.
Congo and the M23 rebels had agreed to sign a permanent peace deal by Aug. 18, but no agreement was announced on Monday. In recent days, both sides have accused one another of violating a ceasefire that was agreed as one of the conditions for a deal.
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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa