The African Union has strongly denounced recent “massacres” in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where 150 people lost their lives in June. Moussa Faki Mahamat, head of the African Union Commission, expressed deep concern over the escalating violence against civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Beni and Lubero, located in North Kivu province.
In a statement issued on Monday, Mahamat condemned the attacks, emphasizing that they have resulted in the deaths of 150 individuals since the start of June. He urged Congolese authorities, in collaboration with regional nations, to intensify their efforts in combating the terrorist threat in the Great Lakes region. Additionally, Mahamat reaffirmed the African Union’s steadfast support for the Great Lakes countries in their ongoing fight against terrorism.
The ADF, originally from Uganda, has been active in eastern DR Congo for decades and declared allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019, which regards the ADF as its branch in Central Africa. Despite joint military operations by the Congolese and Ugandan armies since late 2021 in North Kivu and neighboring Ituri province, they have not yet succeeded in halting the deadly assaults on civilians. The eastern region has long been afflicted by violence perpetrated by various armed groups.
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