Attackers have killed at least 16 civilians in the easter Democratic Republic of the Congo on Thursday evening. The ambush occurred as the civilians were returning from a weekly market and were on a highway between the towns of Maimoya and Chani-chani. The attack occurred 25 miles from the city of Beni in North Kivu province. Six women and one child were among the victims.
The attackers belonged tot he Allied Democratic Forces, one of 122 estimated armed groups in the easter DRC. Many of the armed groups remain from two regional wars from 1996 to 2003. The group carries out frequent attacks in the Oicha region. The Catholic Church in DRC claims the ADF has killed nearly 6,000 civilians since 2013, with a sharp rise since 2019. The United States branded the ADF a foreign terrorist organization and said its leader Musa Baluku has pledged allegiance to ISIS. A state of siege was declared in North Kivu in May, but the attacks were not lessened. The ADF did not claim responsibility for the attacks.
