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At least 31 civilians have been killed in new attacks attributed to Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters in northeast Democratic Republic of Congo.
The attacks occurred between Wednesday and Monday in the Mambasa territory of Ituri Province, according to local and security sources.
Jospin Paluku, head of the Mambasa civil society group, told AFP on Monday that 31 people were killed, while a security source put the death toll at about 50.
The attacks were carried out in several areas of the Babila Babombi region, including the mining village of Njiapanda-Bela, where at least 18 people were reportedly killed on Friday.
The ADF, an armed group linked to the Islamic State and formed by Ugandan rebels, has been accused of carrying out repeated attacks against civilians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
The mineral-rich regions have suffered decades of violence from armed groups, including the ADF, which has expanded its operations through forest areas.
Local residents said the group has been demanding payments from communities involved in cocoa farming and mining.
”A week ago, I paid $10 as a tax demanded by the ADF. We come across them often in the bush,” a farmer in Mambasa told AFP anonymously. Another resident said those who fail to provide proof of payment risk being killed.
Ugandan troops have operated alongside the Congolese army since 2021 in parts of North Kivu and Ituri to fight the ADF, but the joint operations have failed to end the violence.
A local farmer said residents often avoid reporting ADF movements because they fear being targeted.
More than 190 civilians have been killed since January in Babila Babombi areas where the armed group has not yet introduced its so-called “protection” levy, according to Muhindo Mamboro Peresi, a local civil society leader.
