A new wave of violence has struck the Beni region in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), leaving dozens dead and missing in the heart of the conflict zone.
According to local sources reported by AFP on Sunday, the death toll from two attacks in the Beni area has risen to 18, with 14 others still missing.
The attacks, which occurred on Saturday in the troubled North Kivu province, have been attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group affiliated with the terrorist organization ISIS.
Kinos Katwo, a local leader in the affected area, confirmed that the number of fatalities had increased from 10 to 18. He also noted that 14 people remain unaccounted for and that four houses and two motorcycles were set ablaze.
Charles Ndokadu, another local official, told AFP that the death toll “exceeds 18.” He added that “no one has been able to recover the bodies, which are still lying on the ground.”
The ADF was originally founded by Ugandan rebels and has been based in eastern DRC since the mid-1990s, during which time it has killed thousands of civilians.
In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to ISIS, which now considers it part of its organization, referring to it as the “Islamic State Central Africa Province.”
Despite a joint military offensive launched by Uganda and the DRC in 2021 aimed at expelling the ADF and curbing its attacks, the group remains a persistent threat in the region.
