In eastern DRC, the town of Beni is once again in mourning after the massacre of a dozen residents by ADF rebels (allied democratic forces). The attack took place on Sunday night and was claimed by the Islamic State group in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Beni, which this year totals 10 years of abuses by this armed group of Ugandan origin.
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With our correspondent in Kinshasa, Pascal Mulegwa
According to the authorities, the attackers were led by Ahmad Mahmood Hassan, a Tanzanian of Arab origin from Oman, presented as number 3 of the ADF group. With his men, he took advantage of a security vacuum and the disorder created by local militias, according to army spokesperson Captain Anthony Mwalwishay. “ The terrorists simply took advantage of the cacophony sown by young people who claim to be compatriots and also cocoa thieves who are visible in several fields “, he indicated.
According to the army spokesperson DRC“ the threat continues “. “ We are in contact with these jihadists who now want to go towards the southern part of our operational zone to further destabilize the Beni-Butembo road. “,he specifies.
In recent days, the ADF have increased attacks. Since the beginning of March, around twenty civilians have been killed in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group. The objective? Make propaganda. “ The ADF terrorists who recorded many losses during various operations are in the process of reorganizing themselves to show the world that they are still there, that they have the capacity to cause harm. The enemy sometimes takes advantage of our errors, our disorders on the ground to infiltrate the population and cause harm. », Explains the captain.
The Congolese and Ugandan armies carry out a joint operation targeting the ADF for almost three years, without succeeding in stopping the threat. Following this insecurity, the populations of the outskirts of Beni are moving towards the city center.