DR Congo: Rebels kill 21 people in three villages

At least 21 people were killed in the latest attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, an official said Monday.

The assault took place on Friday in Lubero territory, hitting the residential Bapakombe grouping in North Kivu province.

“The death toll from ADF attack has risen to 21 from 14 initially reported after more bodies were recovered on Sunday,” the head of the Bapakombe group, Boniface Kanyamulamba, told reporters in Lubero.

“Three villages including Boti, Isigo and Mambimbi were targeted in these latest simultaneous attacks. The rebels also burned many houses and several people remain unaccounted for following the attack.”

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The recent wave of rebel violence in the territory has triggered large-scale displacement, with residents fleeing to what are considered safer areas in Kambau town, according to local media reports.

As a result, the security situation has paralyzed daily life, disrupting education, commerce, and other activities in several localities.

In 2025, Congo faced an unprecedented humanitarian crisis marked by persistent armed conflict, mass displacement, climate shocks, and recurrent epidemics, according to the UN.

Eastern Congo remains one of the country’s most volatile regions, with more than 60 civilians reported killed since the beginning of 2026 in the Beni and Lubero areas, according to civil society groups.

Since 2021, Ugandan and Congolese forces have carried out joint military operations against the ADF.

The group, active in eastern Congo for years, pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2019.