DRC: At least 46 killed in rebel attack near North Kivu
At least 46 people were killed in a rebel attack on Thursday in the northeastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The attack targeted Walese Vonkutu, a chiefdom close to the border of North Kivu, where Congolese forces have been fighting against Uganda rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) for more than half a decade. Local authorities say a mission will be dispatched in the area on Friday, warning that the final death toll could still increase.
ADF attack kills dozens near North Kivu border
Rebel attacks in northeastern DRC are increasingly common with the ADF targeting civilians in areas close to military facilities. Prior to the latest attack in Walese Vonkutu, locales around Irumi, Mambasa and Beni have all been targeted in recent years with at least 22 civilians killed in a rebel attack in a village in Beni earlier this month.
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is a rebel group originating from northeastern Uganda in the 1990s and expanding into the neighbouring DRC. Repeated military offensives against the ADF have severely damaged the rebel group over the years but the ADF has regenerated several times.
The rebel group has abandoned its political demand over the years, too, with a greater emphasis on exploiting the rich natural resources found in the northern region of the DRC.
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