Forces démocratiques alliées (ADF) responsible for over 650 deaths in Ituri and North Kivu
In a shocking revelation, the United Nations report published on January 8 disclosed that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have been responsible for the deaths of more than 650 civilians in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri since June 2024. These attacks, some of the deadliest ever recorded, highlight the escalating violence perpetrated by the ADF in these regions.
June 2024: A Bloody Month
The month of June 2024 was particularly bloody, with over 200 civilians killed. To the west of Beni, around Cantine, the group led by Abwakasi attacked more than 10 localities between June 3 and 12, resulting in at least 150 victims. In Lubero, several attacks were reported along the border with Beni, especially in the areas of Bapere, Njapanda, and Manguredjipa. This group continued its deadly movements while temporarily settling around the Bandulu forest.
Intensified Attacks
Between June and August, other ADF commanders, including Braida, Defender, and Tabani, intensified their attacks in the territories of Beni and Lubero. These raids, involving murders, kidnappings, and executions, also affected Oicha, Mamove, and Biakato. The groups then moved westward, pursued by the forces of Operation Shujaa. Braida, responsible for numerous murders, was killed near Biakato in mid-August.
Challenges and Urgency
In the territories of Irumu and Mambasa, attacks were less frequent. However, the large group led by Musa Baluku, consisting of approximately 1,000 fighters and civilians, moved north of the Ituri River, near Lolwa. This movement, marked by relative calm, likely reflects the heavy losses suffered by the ADF under the pressure of Operation Shujaa and their increasing need for medical care. Several attacks on health services and abductions of medical personnel around Lolwa at the end of August testify to the group’s struggles to regroup.
The United Nations emphasizes that these prolonged violence highlight the urgent need to strengthen the protection of civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the threat of the ADF remains persistent despite military efforts deployed.