At least 16 killed in rebel attack in eastern DR Congo
At least 16 people, including gold miners, were killed in a suspected attack by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, local authorities said on Thursday.
The assault took place on Wednesday afternoon in Mandeite village in Mambasa territory, about 165 kilometres (102 miles) southwest of the provincial capital, Bunia, local official Janvier Kinyongi told journalists, News.Az reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
“Many of the victims are gold miners. The death toll is provisional as attacks are still being reported in the vicinity,” Kinyongi said.
The attack occurred just days after suspected ADF fighters abducted several people in the same area.
The ADF continues to pose a major threat to civilians in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to security monitor Kivu Security Tracker, the rebel group killed 62 civilians and abducted 57 others in June.
The ADF, which has operated in eastern Congo for several years, is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) militant group.
Ugandan and Congolese forces have been carrying out joint military operations against the ADF since 2021.
In a report published in May, Amnesty International said that although the ADF attacks security forces, its main targets in recent years have been civilians. The organization said the group attacks civilians not only to seize food, medicine and other supplies, but also in retaliation for military operations.
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