Rebels kill at least 15 civilians in eastern DR Congo

YAOUNDE, Cameroon

At least 15 civilians were killed on Sunday night in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)’s North Kivu province, a research initiative that maps unrest in the region said on Monday.

The attack, allegedly perpetrated by the Ugandan rebel group Allied Democratic Forces took place in Bulongo, the Kivu Security Tracker (KST) said, without providing further details.


KST is a joint project of the Congo Research Group and Human Rights Watch.

Lutte Pour Le Changement (LUCHA), a youth civil society movement in the DR Congo, also confirmed the attack on Twitter.


According to local sources, the incident took place around midnight when suspected ADF elements broke down the doors of various houses and killed civilians.

Authorities have not yet commented on the incident.

The ADF, which originated in Uganda’s northeast in the 1990s, has been attacking and killing civilians in eastern DRC for several decades.

The illicit exploitation of natural resources continues to be a root cause and driver of conflict in the east of the country, according to the UN.

Most of the militia groups have set aside their political demands and are involved in mineral trafficking.