The latest report by UN experts reveals a drastic decline in external funding for the Islamist terrorists of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). This drying up of resources follows sustained counter-terrorism pressure in Somalia on IS, the group’s main sponsor. In the face of this widespread economic stranglehold, civil society in the Mambasa territory is urging the Congolese government to step up military pressure to permanently cut off these criminals’ local sources of income.
For local humanitarian actors, the current situation represents a major strategic turning point. Speaking to our newsroom on Friday 10 July 2026, Rams Malikidogo, a human rights defender and member of local civil society, believes that the Democratic Republic of the Congo must seize this opportunity to deal the terrorist group a fatal blow.
“The pressure on terrorists in Somalia is a godsend for us here in the DRC,” he explains. “We must take advantage of this situation to exert military pressure on these terrorists. Strangling them economically could lead to their neutralization. This is a golden opportunity for our government to put an end to this phenomenon of cruel and violent attacks against our people.”
Forced taxes and compulsory Islamization
Deprived of oil and external funding, the ADF has stepped up the ruthless exploitation of local resources in the territories of Lubero, Irumu and Mambasa. The UN report details the establishment of an institutionalized racketeering system involving compulsory tokens known as ‘Dubius’. The agricultural sector, particularly the cocoa industry, is one of the terrorists’ main targets. Producers are subjected to forced taxes known as ‘Amani na Upendo’ (Peace and Love) or ‘Délivrance Cacao’.
The document draws in particular on a propaganda video by Bonge la Chuma, a leading figure in the ADF, who issues a clear ultimatum to local communities: convert to Islam, pay the authorization tax, or face death and expulsion.
The grim industry of kidnappings for ransom
To make up for their financial losses, the rebels have also developed an economy of terror based on mass abductions. The experts’ report documents several waves of mass abductions of civilians along the Komanda-Luna route and near Mamove. Victims are targeted on the basis of their presumed financial means. During their captivity, they are subjected to forced labor before being released in exchange for ransoms ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 US dollars.
For families unable to raise such sums, the outcome is tragic: the hostages are systematically executed. Civil society is now calling on Kinshasa to align its strategy with international efforts to shut down the ADF’s war economy and permanently liberate the battered populations of North Kivu and Ituri.
Written by Azarias Mokonzi