The Civil Society Coordination in the “Beni” region of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo reported that the “Allied Democratic Forces” militia, affiliated with the Islamic State Central Africa (ISIS), launched a series of attacks on several villages in the region, resulting in at least 37 deaths.
In a statement relayed by local media today, Sunday, the Coordination clarified that the “Allied Democratic Forces” militia attacked several villages in the Babila-Bakayiko area of the “Beni” region in North Kivu Province over three days, leading to the aforementioned casualties and significant material damage.
Kinos Katohu, head of the local Civil Society Coordination, stated: “The death toll from the attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces from Tuesday, July 16, to Thursday, July 18, 2024, has reached at least 37, in addition to the burning of nine houses and seven motorcycles, with many people still missing,” indicating that the militias continued their assaults and civilian killings until the morning of last Friday.
Katohu urged the Congolese authorities to launch joint military operations with the Congolese and Ugandan armies to pursue the militia elements in the attacked areas and their surroundings.
The civil society official confirmed that this casualty and material loss tally is still preliminary as the processes of assessing the losses and searching for other victims are ongoing; noting that the attackers had abducted many individuals.
He also mentioned that soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo deployed in the area have begun pursuing the rebel elements headed west from the National Highway Four.
