More than 300 individuals have been tragically killed by ADF rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since the beginning of the year, a grim tally confirmed by the United Nations office. These brutal executions have been concentrated across the provinces of Ituri and Nord-Kivu, regions persistently plagued by instability.

The UN office specifically condemned a recent assault that occurred overnight between May 30 and 31 in Ngadi, a village situated near Beni in Nord-Kivu. The Congolese government subsequently reported that this particular attack claimed the lives of 15 civilians and one soldier.

In the broader Beni region, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have escalated their offensive, orchestrating multiple attacks that resulted in over 40 civilian fatalities within a mere three-day span, according to local accounts.

The ADF, an insurgent group with roots in eastern DRC since the mid-1990s, has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians over the decades. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist organization, which now recognizes the ADF as its “Central Africa Province” and has claimed responsibility for several of their violent acts.