At least 12 people were killed in several villages in North Kivu province, eastern Congo, by militants linked to the Islamic State group, a local official reported on Monday.
On Saturday, fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the village of Mukonia, resulting in at least 12 deaths, according to Mayor Nicole Kikuku, who spoke on national television. The death toll could rise as several villagers are still missing.
The ADF has intensified its attacks recently, with a notable incident in June when they killed at least 40 people in various North Kivu villages.
The group is also suspected of carrying out a massacre last year in neighboring Uganda, where 41 people, mostly students, were killed.
In response to the ADF’s actions, Uganda’s military launched joint air and artillery strikes against the group in eastern Congo in 2021.
Eastern Congo has endured decades of armed violence, with over 120 groups fighting for control of land, power, and valuable mineral resources.
Some of these groups have been accused of mass killings while trying to defend their communities.
Following the Congolese government’s request due to the mission’s inability to end the conflict, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, which had supported anti-rebel efforts for over two decades, is scheduled to fully withdraw by the end of 2024.
The phased withdrawal of the 15,000-member force has already commenced in South Kivu province.
The government has also instructed an East African regional force, deployed last year to help quell the violence, to leave the country for similar reasons.
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