Military authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo announced that 43 civilians lost their lives during a Wednesday evening assault by militants with ties to the Islamic State in the nation’s eastern region.
The deadly incident occurred around 7 p.m. local time in Bafwakoa village, situated in Mambasa territory within Ituri province, close to the town of Niania, according to officials who spoke with Reuters.
Congo’s armed forces attributed the violence to the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan militant organization operating in eastern Congo that has been recognized as an Islamic State affiliate.
The military statement indicated that 44 residential structures were destroyed by fire during the attack.
Christian Alimasi, a local customary official in Mambasa territory, described the brutal nature of the assault, stating that some casualties resulted from machete attacks while others perished when trapped in their burning homes. He also confirmed that two individuals were taken captive by the attackers.
Despite combined military efforts between Congolese and Ugandan forces that began in 2021 to combat the group, ADF assaults against civilian populations have grown more frequent in recent months across portions of Ituri and the adjacent North Kivu province.
Research data from Insecurity Insight, an organization that examines verified violent incidents targeting civilians, indicates that the ADF was responsible for approximately 25% of documented civilian violence in eastern Congo from 2020 through 2025.
