Twenty-one civilians were brutally murdered during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday 3 June 2026 during a simultaneous double attack attributed to terrorists from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Kitoho and Mbau, two localities in the Beni territory of North Kivu.

Local civil society reports that the attackers operated according to a meticulously planned modus operandi to evade the security forces. Taking advantage of the clashes between the coalition of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Congolese National Police (PNC), who had arrived to contain the main incursion in Mbau, a second group of rebels crossed National Road No. 4 (RN4). This detachment targeted the area behind the district administrative office to execute civilians.

Eyewitness accounts gathered at the scene describe this operation as an act of deliberate sabotage aimed at defying the police, military and eco-guards deployed in the area. According to residents, the FARDC’s proactive response and counterattack succeeded in repelling the enemy and preventing an even heavier death toll, although police officers are among the victims.

This latest tragedy comes on top of a series of recent killings carried out by the ADF in the Vemba and Ngadi sectors.

In the face of this persistent insecurity, community organizations and local populations are making an urgent appeal to the Congolese government for an immediate strengthening of protective measures and military personnel in order to secure the region in the long term.

Written by Azarias Mokonzi