In a shocking incident, rebel fighters affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) have killed over 50 individuals during a funeral ceremony in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The attack, carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), involved most victims being mercilessly hacked with machetes during the nighttime assault on the village of Ntoyo, according to local officials.
Macaire Sivikunula, a local administrator, confirmed the startling death toll, stating, 'This is a profoundly tragic event, and the victims were completely unaware, caught off guard at a mourning ceremony.' Adding to the chaos, DR Congo’s army reported that by the time soldiers arrived, the ADF fighters had already committed the horrific massacre.
The ADF is notorious for its violence as it has been responsible for a series of attacks on both sides of the Uganda-DR Congo border. This group emerged in Uganda in the 1990s, claiming to protect Muslim rights, but it has since relocated to the DR Congo, continuing its brutal insurgency.
This feels like an escalating threat, as evidenced by the attacks that claimed over 40 lives in another recent incident in July, where worshippers were targeted at night in a church. Reports suggest that the ADF is gaining strength, and its association with IS is growing, contributing to the instability in the region.
Many innocent lives have been lost, and the situation remains dire with the Islamic State's Central African Province confirming the attack and stating that over 100 individuals may have perished. Local broadcasters have amplified these fears, describing the scene in Ntoyo as ‘utter carnage.’
Research indicates a disturbing trend: almost 90% of the Islamic State’s operations are currently carried out by its affiliates on the African continent, highlighting an urgent need for a response to this rising wave of violence.
