The province of Ituri, in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, remains the scene of chronic insecurity despite the peace agreements signed between the Congolese government and several armed groups, including the Codeco militia. However, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist group affiliated to the Islamic State, remain particularly active and deadly.

According to local residents, these rebels attacked the village at around 8pm local time. Coming from the west, they crossed to head east along national road number 4.
“I’m being treated, I’ve been shot several times, don’t fail to pray for me, but I don’t know if my wife and child are still alive, they could be killed, keep praying for me”, said one of the wounded.

This information has been confirmed by the office of the Irumu CRDH. Christophe Munyanderu, its coordinator, calls on the command of the joint FARDC-UPDF operation to review its approach in order to spare the lives of the population.
“Since 8 July we have just counted 70 civilians killed as a provisional toll alongside civilians reported missing, our recommendation is to the joint FARDC-UPDF operations to see how they can review their methods of tracking down these ADF terrorists because after destroying the various strongholds of these ADF terrorists in the territory of Mambasa precisely in the chiefdom of Babila Bakwanza towards Lolwa, and part of the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom in Mungamba, the enemy has again crossed the Ituri river to recapture these former strongholds”, recommended Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator of the Irumu CRDH.

“The pooling of FARDC and UPDF forces has been going very well on the ground since the launch of military operations on Sunday 6 July against several ADF terrorist rebel positions deep along the RN-4 in the Irumu and Mambasa territories,” said the Congolese army spokesman.

This security situation comes after a series of recent joint FARDC-UPDF operations “launched in the forest of the Babila Bakwanza chiefdom in the Mambasa territory, creating a stampede in the ranks of the terrorists, who are fleeing in all directions”, said Jules Ngongo, FARDC spokesman in Ituri.

This upsurge in violence highlights the flaws in the security arrangements in this troubled region of eastern DRC, where civilians remain the first victims of armed conflict.

Written by Akilimali Chomachoma