KIGALI, Rwanda
Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels killed at least 87 civilians in separate attacks in villages in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province in March, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said Friday.
The attacks in Mambasa territory affected mainly the health zones of Nia-nia and Lolwa, OCHA said in a monthly report.
Beyond the fatalities, the attacks led to the displacement of more than 60,000 people to other localities in Mambasa territory deemed safe, as well as to the neighboring province of Tshopo.
Also affected were the education and health sectors, where 23 schools were closed, affecting the schooling of more than 5,400 children, it said.
“Nine health facilities also closed their operations, depriving more than 55,000 people of access to healthcare,” it said.
The military said security measures have since been implemented, facilitating the rescue of about 200 hostages during combat operations carried out by the Congolese and Ugandan troops in early April.
Last month, the Congolese military said four strongholds of the ADF, including their headquarters located in the Mambasa territory situated 165 kilometers (102 miles) from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province, in the northeast of the Congo, were destroyed by coalition forces.
It said four ADF officers were killed during an offensive, including the private doctor of the group’s leader, Moussa Bakulu.
The rebel group, which has been active in eastern Congo for years, is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) militant organization.
Since 2021, Ugandan and Congolese forces have been conducting joint operations against the ADF rebels.
For nearly three decades, the eastern Congo has been facing insecurity posed by several armed groups, with thousands of people living in camps in the two most conflict-affected provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.
