At least 43 people were brutally killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after militants linked to the Islamic State launched a deadly overnight raid, local officials said on Thursday. The attack, which occurred in Bafwakoa village, Ituri province, has sent shockwaves through the region.
According to the Congolese military, the attackers, identified as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), set fire to houses and took hostages. “They set fire to houses in the village,” said Samuel Banapia, a member of civil society in the area.
The ADF, a Ugandan Islamist group, has been operating in eastern Congo, targeting civilians and carrying out brutal attacks. The group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and has intensified its attacks in recent months.
The attack has sparked widespread condemnation, with the UN peacekeeping mission in Congo (MONUSCO) expressing its strongest possible terms of condemnation. The Congolese government has vowed to take action against the perpetrators.
The violence in eastern Congo is part of a broader conflict involving multiple armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed M23 rebels. The region has been plagued by instability and humanitarian crises for years.
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Author: Stella Sunu
