Militants from the Islamic State-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have killed at least seven civilians in north-eastern DR Congo.
According to Radio Okapi, the attackers burned over 20 houses, causing residents to flee in the village of Amani, located in the Mambasa Territory of Ituri Province on August 29.
The casualty figure remains provisional due to several missing individuals. This incident follows a series of raids on August 22 across the villages of Ngombari, Kalonge, Seseo, Masikida, and Ngolo, which resulted in 16 deaths and multiple abductions. Eight children were taken to an unknown location during those attacks, and the preliminary death toll is believed to include children.
Civil society groups report that over 300 civilians have been killed in Mambasa since March. They criticized the "indifference of the authorities" and requested stronger military interventions. One activist noted that "civilian populations are targeted every week despite joint Congolese and Ugandan army operations."
These operations were initiated in 2021 by the Congolese and Ugandan armies to eliminate the ADF from the mineral-rich Ituri and Nord Kivu provinces. A recent UN report identified the ADF as one of the deadliest armed groups in DR Congo, holding it responsible for more than 1,000 civilian deaths in 2025.
UN experts stated the group maintains ideological ties and communications with the Islamic State group, executing systematic, large-scale attacks involving killings, abductions, and sexual violence that disproportionately affect women and children.
Suspected ADF militants are holding over 100 children hostage in north-eastern Haut-Uele Province. Civil society groups identified the children as victims of forced recruitment, while families are calling for enhanced operations to secure their release.
The ADF remains one of the most dangerous armed factions contributing to instability in the gold-rich Ituri province—where continuous conflicts have internally displaced nearly two million people—despite ongoing military efforts by both Kinshasa and Kampala.
