At least 36 people were killed in an overnight attack by suspected Ugandan rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities and a security mapping monitor said on Thursday.
Several houses were burned in the attack targeting the village of Mukondi, around 30 km (19 miles) south of the territory of Beni in North Kivu province, according to the Kivu Security Tracker which maps violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
“On the night of March 8 to 9, armed militiamen from Mwalika valley set fire to the village of Mukondi. They killed at least 36 people using machetes. More than 10 injured are admitted at the health center in Kalunguta,” it said on Twitter.
Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, the provincial governor, blamed the ADF and confirmed the death toll on Twitter. “The Mukondi village was completely burned down in an attack last night,” he said.
He also called for urgent deployment of the military in the area to secure the Butembo-Beni road.
Sadam Patanguli, a leader of Bashu civil society group based in the Beni territory, said the dead included children, women and elderly people.?
He called on authorities to expand the joint offensive by Congolese and Ugandan forces to protect citizens.
The attack came days after joint Congolese and Ugandan forces announced that they overran the rebels’ base in Mwalika valley.
The ADF has been attacking and killing civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo for over two decades.
Ugandan and Congolese forces launched joint military operations against rebels in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in late 2021.
Source: Anadolu Agency