The Democratic Republic of the Congo Under Attack

Translated by Beatrice Cherubini

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is facing a very delicate phase in its history. Despite the country’s significant economic potential due to its vast natural resources, the eastern region is now plagued by numerous conflicts involving dozens of armed groups. The central institutions, led by President Félix Tshisekedi, are struggling to maintain state control in the provinces affected by clashes. In particular, North Kivu and Ituri are the hardest hit, with attacks launched by groups such as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and the M23 Movement.

It is within this context that the recent assaults in July and August occurred. On the night of July 26–27 in Bapere, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, at least 40 people were killed in a series of attacks attributed to the ADF. According to Human Rights Watch, the organization received the names of 39 people killed, 9 injured, and 9 children aged 7 to 14 abducted. The violence took place during a nighttime gathering at a church. On July 26, the faithful gathered inside the building for celebrations and decided to spend the night there, until armed men entered around 1 a.m. the following morning. According to witnesses and survivors, the fighters first ordered everyone present to sit down and then struck them on the head with guns and machetes. Meanwhile, in the town, the same armed group killed five more people and set houses and vehicles on fire.

More recently, between August 9 and 16, the ADF targeted several locations in Beni and Lubero in eastern North Kivu province. As stated by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), these attacks claimed the lives of 52 people, including 8 women and two children. Members of the community, already severely affected by humanitarian crises and widespread instability, were targeted. The fighters spread panic through looting, abductions, and setting houses and vehicles on fire.

The ADF is now one of the leading perpetrators of the recent massacres in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is an organization founded in Uganda in the 1990s that accuses the government of persecuting the Muslim community. Although the links between the two groups are not currently clear, in 2019 the ADF pledged allegiance to ISIS, becoming part of the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province. The armed group was originally composed of former Ugandan rebels and, for this reason, Operation Shujaa — a joint military mission between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) — was launched in November 2021. The aim of this alliance was to neutralize the organization because of the numerous massacres, acts of violence, and abductions it had been carrying out.

In countering these attacks and protecting civilians, MONUSCO has played and continues to play an important role. Established in 2010, it is a peacekeeping mission created to replace the previous MONUC. Its mandate is to protect the civilian population and support the implementation of the peace process by assisting the Congolese government in restoring state authority.

As stated by Vivian van de Perre, the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Protection and Operations within MONUSCO, these assaults against civilians violate not only human rights but also international humanitarian law. In recent years, the operation has been heavily criticized by the local population, as it is considered ineffective in protecting them from rebel violence.

The ADF also undermines national stability in terms of the ceasefire. In fact, while the Congolese government and groups like the M23 try to negotiate peace agreements and ceasefires, ADF attacks continue to fuel instability in the region, thwarting the diplomatic efforts made between the parties involved. The indiscriminate violence carried out by the armed group also increases a climate of distrust towards the state and international missions, further worsening their ability to stabilize the area.

In such a complex scenario, civilians continue to pay the highest price, becoming victims of massacres, losing their livelihoods, and hoping for protection that is slow to arrive. ADF attacks and the presence of other groups continue to put the population’s security under severe strain. Despite efforts, the protection of civilians remains insufficient, and the crisis worsens day by day as the number of civilian targets increases.

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2025