Armed men believed to be members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked several villages in Beni territory, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Tuesday, January 30, killing at least eight civilians and taking others hostage.
Worshippers Executed During Prayer
According to Nicolas Kikuku, mayor of Oicha commune, the victims included five members of the Branhamist Pentecostal community, killed while attending church service.
“The enemies executed them,” Kikuku said, adding that several people remain missing. The bodies of the victims were deposited at the Oicha hospital morgue, confirmed by civil society spokesperson Darius Syahira.
Hostages Taken, Villages Attacked
Local sources reported that the assailants also abducted about 30 people during the raids. The attackers, known for their brutal tactics, burned houses, killed civilians with bladed weapons, and looted property.
Just days earlier, on Saturday, January 27, at least 32 people were killed, including five parishioners beheaded inside a church, in similar attacks attributed to the ADF and the Islamic State group.
Decades of Violence in Eastern DRC
The ADF, originally formed by Ugandan Muslim rebels in the mid-1990s, has terrorized eastern DRC for decades, killing thousands. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which refers to them as its “Central Africa Province.”
Despite the state of emergency declared in North Kivu and Ituri provinces in 2021, and the joint Operation Shujaa launched by Ugandan and Congolese forces, the group continues to carry out deadly attacks.
In December 2023, ADF rebels were accused of killing 13 people in western Uganda, underscoring their cross-border threat.
Persistent Instability
The latest killings come weeks after the DRC emerged from a tense electoral period. Although the region had experienced a brief lull in violence, deadly attacks have resumed in Beni. On January 23, five civilians were killed in an assault claimed by the ADF, highlighting the group’s enduring capacity for violence despite ongoing military pressure.
