The African Union condemns the ADF massacres in eastern DRC

The African Union (AU) strongly condemned the recent massacres perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the territories of Béni and Lubéro, located in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This violence has caused the deaths of 150 civilians since the beginning of June.

For several years, the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been the scene of violence perpetrated by armed rebel and jihadist groups. Among them, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group founded in 1995, stands out for its brutality. Made up mainly of Muslims, the group radicalized to the point of allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, becoming its branch in Central Africa.

Monday June 17, the president of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, denounced the “massacres of innocent civilian populations” by the ADF in the territories of Béni and Lubéro, in North Kivu. In a statement, the Chadian diplomat expressed his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the Congolese people. He also deplored the deaths of 150 people since the beginning of June, including at least 42 in a recent attack on June 13.

The African Union said it was closely monitoring the development of this violence and reaffirmed its support for the Great Lakes countries in their fight against terrorism. Moussa Faki Mahamat underlined the “continued commitment of the African Union” to support regional efforts to eradicate terrorism, the manifestations of which are particularly visible in the Sahel, notably in Mali and Burkina Faso.

In the province of North Kivu, which covers almost 60,000 square kilometers, rebel groups like the M23 and the ADF have imposed their law for years and disrupt the peace of local populations. Despite operations carried out by the Congolese army in collaboration with regional partners, violence against civilians continues unabated.