CAPE TOWN: The African Union on Monday condemned the recent “massacres” perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which have resulted in the deaths of 150 people since June.
Moussa Faki Mahamat, the African Union Commission chief, expressed his profound dismay over the escalating violence against civilians in North Kivu province, particularly in the regions of Beni and Lubero.
“I have learned with dismay of the increasing massacres of innocent civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Beni and Lubero,” Mahamat stated. “The Chairman of the Commission strongly condemns these attacks, which have claimed the lives of 150 people since the beginning of June.”
Mahamat urged Congolese authorities to intensify their efforts, in collaboration with regional countries, to curb the spread of the terrorist threat in the Great Lakes region. He reiterated the African Union’s commitment to supporting the countries of the Great Lakes region in their fight against terrorism.
The ADF, originally formed in neighboring Uganda, has been operating in eastern DR Congo for decades. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which now considers the ADF its central African branch.
Despite joint military operations conducted by the Congolese and Ugandan armies since late 2021, targeting the ADF in North Kivu and neighboring Ituri province, the violence against civilians has continued unabated. These operations have so far failed to significantly diminish the ADF’s capacity for deadly attacks.
The eastern DRC has long been plagued by violence from various armed groups, leading to a prolonged humanitarian crisis.
