At least 10 civilians killed by ADF rebels in eastern DRC: local sources

KINSHASA, April 3 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 civilians were killed in an attack Tuesday evening by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local sources reported Wednesday.

According to local civil society, ADF rebels made an incursion into Mangodomu, a village located in the Beni territory of North Kivu province, which has been under military and police administration since 2021.

Colonel Charles Omeonga, the administrator of the Beni territory, reassured the population of the determination of the Armed Forces of the DRC to neutralize the ADF rebels.

The ADF was founded in the 1990s by several opposition movements in Uganda. Defeated by the Ugandan army, these rebels remained active in eastern DRC, which led to joint operations by the DRC and Uganda to track down this group, now affiliated with the Islamic State.

For decades, ADF rebels active in the Beni territory have continued to increase attacks against the population despite joint operations between Kinshasa and Kampala, which are still underway in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri. Since May 2021, these two provinces have been placed under a state of siege, where civil authorities are replaced by military and police authorities.