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Eyewitness News
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Eyewitness News
More than 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo
BUNIA - More than 40 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, the UN mission and Congolese military said. The ADF, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents told AFP by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. The attack killed 43 people including nine children, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. "These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law," said Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of the peacekeeping mission. The Congolese army denounced the "large-scale massacre", adding that "around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured". It said the ADF had decided to take "revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror". Local sources had reported an earlier death toll of at least 35. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, saying "the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF" rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces -- Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who are predominantly Muslim, have killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed "Shujaa", which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. The Congolese army promised to continue tracking the ADF and called on the population "to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious presence to the defense and security forces".
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
More than 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast Congo
BUNIA, Congo (AFP) -- More than 40 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern Congo, ending a monthslong period of regional calm, the UN mission and Congolese military said. The ADF, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents told Agence France-Presse by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. The attack killed 43 people including nine children, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. "These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law," said Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of the peacekeeping mission. The Congolese Army denounced the "large-scale massacre," adding that "around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured." It said the ADF had decided to take "revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror." Local sources had reported an earlier death toll of at least 35. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, saying "the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF" rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces -- Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who are predominantly Muslim, have killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern Congo despite the deployment of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed "Shujaa," which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. The Congolese army promised to continue tracking the ADF and called on the population "to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious presence to the defense and security forces."
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First Post
14 hours ago
- Politics
- First Post
Over 40 killed in rebel attack in northeast DR Congo, ending brief regional calm
The Congolese army denounced the 'large-scale massacre', adding that 'around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured'. read more This aerial view shows the town of Komanda, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on August 30, 2023. File Image: AFP More than 40 people were killed Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, the UN mission and Congolese military said. The ADF, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents told AFP by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. The attack killed 43 people including nine children, according to the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law,' said Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of the peacekeeping mission. The Congolese army denounced the 'large-scale massacre', adding that 'around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured'. It said the ADF had decided to take 'revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror'. Local sources had reported an earlier death toll of at least 35. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, saying 'the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF' rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces – Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who are predominantly Muslim, have killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed 'Shujaa', which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. The Congolese army promised to continue tracking the ADF and called on the population 'to remain extra vigilant and report any suspicious presence to the defense and security forces'.
Economic Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
At least 21 killed in attack on east Congo church by Islamic State-backed rebels
At least 21 people were killed on Sunday in an attack on church premises in eastern Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels, according to a civil society leader. The attack was carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) around 1 am inside the premises of a Catholic church in eastern Congo's Komanda. Several houses and shops were also burnt. "More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. But the search is continuing," Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, told The Associated Press. Earlier this month, the group killed dozens of people in Ituri in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. A spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri province, where Komanda is located, confirmed 10 dead. "What we know this morning is that there was an incursion by armed men with machetes into a church not far from Komanda, where about 10 people were killed and massacred and some shops were set on fire," Lt. Jules Ngongo, the DRC Army's spokesperson in Ituri, said. The ADF, with ties with the Islamic State, is a rebel group that operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo, has routinely conducted attacks against civilian populations. "We are truly disappointed because it is incredible that such a situation could occur in a town where all the security officials are present," Duranthabo said. "Some citizens have started fleeing the area and are heading towards Bunia. "We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town." The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighbouring DRC and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The ADF's leadership conceives of an Islamist government in the East African country. The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) has long struggled against the rebel group, and it has now been grappling with a complex web of attacks since the renewed hostilities between the Rwanda-backed M23.
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First Post
a day ago
- Politics
- First Post
Congo Church Massacre: At least 21 killed by Islamic State-backed rebels
At least 21 people were killed on Sunday in an attack on church premises in eastern Congo by Islamic Statebacked rebels, according to a civil society leader. read more In yet another brutal assault in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, more than 21 people were killed on Sunday when Islamic State-linked rebels attacked a Catholic church complex in Komanda, torching homes and shops and leaving behind scenes of devastation. The pre-dawn raid, carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), unfolded around 1 a.m. and left multiple bodies both inside and outside the church. Local civil society leader Dieudonné Duranthabo reported that three of the victims were found burnt, and warned that the death toll could rise as search efforts continue. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The ADF, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, has repeatedly targeted civilians across the border regions of Uganda and Congo. Just weeks ago, the group was responsible for a massacre in Ituri province, prompting the UN to describe the violence as a 'bloodbath.' Military officials confirmed the Komanda incident. 'At least 10 people were killed in a machete attack on a church near the town,' said Lt. Jules Ngongo, army spokesperson for Ituri province. Shops nearby were also set on fire, he added. The ADF, originally formed in Uganda in the 1990s, moved into Congo in 2002 after facing military pressure at home. Since then, it has launched a prolonged campaign of violence, killing thousands of civilians. The group's leadership envisions an Islamic state in the region. Duranthabo criticised the lack of effective security in Komanda despite the presence of government forces. He said some residents were now fleeing toward Bunia, fearing further violence. 'We need immediate military support — the enemy is still close,' he said. As Congo's army continues its battle against the ADF, it is also contending with fresh clashes involving the M23 rebel group, which Kinshasa accuses of receiving support from Rwanda. With inputs from agencies
