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KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo (DailyKenn.com) — 89 blacks were reportedly killed following a six-day rampage by an Islamic hate group in eastern Congo's North Kivu province
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Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic State-affiliated rebel group, unleashed a wave of coordinated assaults across remote villages last week, slaughtering nearly 90 civilians in one of the deadliest episodes of violence this year.
The attacks, which unfolded between Nov. 13 and 19 in Lubero territory, targeted isolated communities in the Bapere and Baswagha administrative areas, exploiting the region's rugged terrain and strained security presence. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Congo, known as MONUSCO, confirmed the toll on Friday, noting that the victims included at least 20 women and an undetermined number of children. Among the most harrowing incidents was the assault on Nov. 16 in Byambwe, a hamlet about 37 miles west of Lubero town, where fighters stormed a Catholic Church-operated health center, killing 17 people inside—including 11 women in the maternity ward—and setting four patient wards ablaze.
The onslaught began on Nov. 13 with hit-and-run raids on farming hamlets in Baswagha, where assailants hacked villagers to death with machetes and torched homes, displacing hundreds. Over the following days, the violence escalated, with ADF gunmen ambushing travelers on dirt paths and raiding displacement camps. In one locality near Komanda, survivors recounted how militants rounded up families at dusk, executing them en masse before vanishing into the surrounding forests. The group, of Ugandan origin and active in eastern Congo for decades, has intensified its campaign against civilians amid ongoing clashes between government forces and other rebels.
Local health workers and residents who escaped the Byambwe attack described scenes of chaos and desperation. "The screams echoed through the night as they dragged mothers from their beds," said one nurse, who fled with burns from the fires and spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear for her safety. "We begged for mercy, but they showed none—laughing as they poured fuel on the building." Another villager from a nearby outpost recalled hiding in a ditch while gunfire and cries pierced the air: "They came like shadows, targeting anyone who moved. By morning, the ground was soaked in blood." Congolese army patrols arrived hours later, but the militants had long since retreated, leaving behind charred ruins and shallow graves.
No formal charges have been filed against specific ADF commanders, but UN officials described the rampage as potential war crimes, including deliberate attacks on medical facilities and noncombatants, in violation of international humanitarian law. The FARDC and Ugandan troops have ramped up joint operations against the ADF in recent months, but critics argue the efforts fall short amid broader instability fueled by groups like the M23 rebels. MONUSCO troops bolstered patrols in Lubero following the assaults, aiding in the recovery of bodies and distribution of emergency aid.
In Lubero's displaced communities, outrage has boiled over into protests demanding stronger protection. "We bury our dead while the killers roam free—how much more blood must spill?" one elder told reporters in Beni, a nearby hub, as crowds chanted for the expulsion of foreign-backed militias. Civil society leaders in North Kivu urged the UN to accelerate its drawdown only after securing the area, warning that withdrawal could invite further carnage. The attacks have exacerbated a humanitarian crisis, with food insecurity nearing emergency levels in the territory and over 7 million displaced nationwide.
The UN Secretary-General extended condolences to the bereaved families, calling for regional cooperation to dismantle the ADF and hold perpetrators accountable. As search teams comb the bush for missing kin, Lubero's survivors brace for reprisals, their faith in distant authorities shattered by the fresh graves dotting the landscape.
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