Six Congolese have died from bullets sprayed on them by Ugandan ADF rebels in a dawn attack in Beni, DRC's North Kivu Province.
According to local civil society, the attack took place at 5 a.m. local time in the town of Mamove, located 12 kilometers west of the city of 'Oicha, in the territory of Beni (North Kivu). This is the second attack by Ugandan ADF rebels in a span of just three days.
The victims were killed by bullets and bladed weapons in their homes. Kinos Katuho, president of civil society in Mamove told local media that the attack was carried out about twenty kilometers from an army position, more precisely in the Paris district.
The attack lasted for several hours. In the process, two people were seriously injured, adds the same source.
Last Friday, 7 other civilians perished in the same locality. Local civil society criticizes the 'inaction' of the military and peacekeepers in the face of the activism of ADF fighters in the region.
The ADF rebels are known to wreak havoc in this part of DRC. The government forces have since February been conducting intense operations aimed at neutralizing the rebels.
'These men who came were dressed in what appeared to be Congolese military uniform and boots. They were carrying machetes, which they used to cut people to pieces. Whoever run was shot. Some were speaking in a Ugandan dialect,' said Shuka Vesina who was injured in the attack last year.
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) â€" is a militia group that was started in the 1990s in Western Uganda with the aim of creating an Islamic state. The rebels were pushed out of the country by Ugandan Defense Forces and moved into the forest in neighbouring DRC where they were initially tolerated by the community and government.
ADF is a dynamic but mysterious group. Its current aims are not clear. It does not issue public statements or claim responsibility for attacks. Government and UN sources put the membership at between 1,500 and 2,000, with recruiting agents in other countries in the region.
In October 2019, the Congolese military (FARDC) launched attacks against all foreign armies in the country as a pledge by newly elected President Felix Tshisekedi to rid the country of militia. However, there is not much progress because these rebels easily penetrate any place in Beni and wreak havoc and ADF fighters have killed nearly 1,000 people since the offensive began.
Chaligonza Nduru â€" the general in charge of the Congolese troops said, 'We're dealing with terrorists and we will wipe them out as we have other rebel groups in DRC.'
Source : https://taarifa.rw/adf-rebels-kill-6-congolese-during-dawn-attack-in-beni/
