A violent attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group linked to the Islamic State, has left at least nine individuals dead in Oicha, a town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Local sources reported that the attacks occurred overnight from Saturday to Sunday, during which ADF militants targeted civilians, looted shops, and set homes ablaze.
Isaac Kavalami, president of a local civil society group, confirmed that the ADF’s intrusion resulted in the deaths of eight civilians and a police officer. Eyewitness accounts gathered by reporters revealed a scene of devastation, with nine bodies, some exhibiting stab wounds, observed in the morgue of Oicha General Hospital.
Lieutenant Marc Elongo, the spokesman for the Congolese army in the region, corroborated that “ADF terrorists” were responsible for the assault. In a statement, he suggested that the attack was a retaliatory measure against local citizens, prompted by ongoing military operations against the group’s activities in the region.
Local civil society representatives had previously warned security forces about a potential attack, but according to Kavalami, no preventive measures were taken in response to the warnings. The ADF, predominantly comprised of Muslim fighters originally from Uganda, has been active in northeastern DRC since the mid-1990s. The group has gained a notorious reputation for its violence, having claimed thousands of civilian lives over the years.
Since pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, the ADF has continued its campaign of terror, even as both Ugandan and Congolese armed forces have been deployed to combat their influence in the region. The situation remains precarious as communities grapple with the ongoing threat posed by the ADF amidst military operations intended to restore security.
