ADF kills 15 civilians in eastern Congo’s North Kivu province: Official

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - ADF rebels killed 15 civilians Friday in Beni territory in North Kivu province in eastern Congo, according to an official.

Lieut. Peter Mbiga, a security officer in the province, said five women, six men and four children were killed in the villages of Bukokoma, Kalivula and Kyandengi.

Mbiga told Anadolu that rebels killed the victims with sharp knives when they attacked their homes. He said the army is pursuing the rebels.

“We are concerned that ADF killed 15 civilians in our area. They seriously injured several others who have been rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment,” Maleki Mulala, coordinator of the New Congolese Civil Society, said in a statement.

He said following the massacre, activities are paralyzed in villages where the tragedy occurred.

A joint force from Congo and Uganda has been hunting ADF rebels in eastern Congo since November 2021.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Wednesday that since operations began, troops have killed 508 ADF rebels although remnants continue to attack villages where they kill innocent civilians.

ADF rebels originated in Uganda in 1990 when they attempted to overthrow Museveni’s regime but were overpowered by the army and fled into the jungles of the Congo.