Suspected ADF terrorists kill 22 people in eastern DRC: UN report

Suspected ADF terrorists have killed at least 22 civilians in a village in eastern DRC's Ituri Province early on Sunday, according to an internal UN report and local civil society leaders, the latest in a series of deadly attacks in the region.

The UN report seen by Reuters said the attackers struck Apakolu, about 25 kilometres northwest of Eringeti in Ituri province’s Irumu territory, at around 04:00 GMT on Sunday, and abducted an unknown number of people.

Christophe Munyanderu, head of the local rights group known by its French acronym CRDH, based in Irumu, said 25 civilians had been killed, including 15 men whose bodies were found inside a house and seven others along a road.

The attackers were identified as members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group active in eastern DRC.

Separate incident

The UN report said Sunday's attack in Apakolu came two days after ADF terrorists attacked the nearby village of Kazaraho, where they clashed with the army and local militia groups.

In a separate incident, local officials said ADF terrorists attacked the village of Musengo in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, on Saturday night, burning houses, shops and a Catholic church.

Colonel Alain Kiwewa, administrator of Lubero territory, told Reuters that two Congolese soldiers were killed during the army’s response. He said 14 houses were destroyed, along with the local health centre and part of the church.

DRC's army and Ugandan forces have pursued operations against the ADF, but the group's raids persist across the region.

The ADF were responsible for 138 killings in eastern DRC in November, according to a tally published last week by the UN human rights office.