On November 30, 2021, Ugandan soldiers entered the DRC to hunt down the ADF with the help of the Congolese army. This armed group, of Ugandan origin, is the deadliest in eastern DRC. Despite these operations, the massacres continue like Kikura where at least 20 people died on the night of Sunday 27 to Monday 28 February.
With our correspondent in Bukavu, Coralie Pierret
The latest massacre is that of Kikura, a Congolese town on the border with Uganda. During the night from Sunday to Monday, armed men entered this village. At least 20 people were killed, most with knives, said a member of local civil society who went there to see the deaths. Six houses were burned down and three teenagers were kidnapped, including two boys and a girl. This brutal mode of operation is reminiscent of that of the ADF.
Kikura is located about 3 km from Nobili, the border post through which Ugandan soldiers arrived in the DRC on November 30, 2021. Three months later, their presence alongside Congolese forces has still not eliminated the ADF, responsible for the deaths of at least 1,200 civilians in 2021, according to the UN.
Three people linked to attack arrested, Uganda says
” We still haven’t seen the mixed patrols at home “, Impatient a civil society official in Bunia, capital of Ituri province, particularly affected by the attacks of the group since 2018. “ How is it possible that the enemy is still attacking ? asks a member of civil society on the spot. The two armies, however, display their progress and victory on social networks.
On Monday evening, the joint forces claimed to have confronted the ADF suspected of the attack. Three members of this armed group were arrested, according to the Ugandan spokesperson for the operation. A transaction for which no joint balance sheet is available. For the time being, the last joint assessment dates back to December 10, 2021, it reports 34 ADF captured and 4 enemy camps dismantled.
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