UN Condemns Rebel Attacks That Killed Nearly 90 Civilians in Eastern DR Congo
KIGALI, Rwanda: The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) has strongly condemned a wave of brutal rebel attacks in eastern North Kivu province that left at least 89 civilians dead within a week.
In a statement released Friday, MONUSCO said preliminary information shows that assaults carried out between Nov 13 and 19 in the Bapere and Baswagha chiefdoms resulted in the deaths of 89 civilians, including at least 20 women and an unknown number of children.
The attacks—reported across several communities in Lubero Territory—have been attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group with ties to ISIS.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred at a Catholic Church–run health center in Byambwe, where 17 civilians, including women receiving maternity care, were killed. Rebels also torched four patient wards and committed widespread atrocities such as abductions, looting of medical supplies, burning of homes, and destruction of property, MONUSCO said.
“These acts of violence against civilians, including inside medical facilities, may constitute war crimes and serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Bruno Lemarquis, the UN Secretary-General’s deputy special representative in Congo and acting head of MONUSCO.
The mission extended its condolences to the affected families and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Congolese authorities in protecting civilians, preventing human rights abuses, and combating impunity.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the security situation in North Kivu’s Lubero and Beni territories has deteriorated sharply since October due to repeated ADF attacks. Schools in several communities remain closed, health centers are struggling with shortages of medicine, and thousands of residents have been forced to flee their homes.
On Oct 7, unidentified gunmen set fire to a private truck transporting humanitarian supplies to displacement camps in Eringeti and Mayi-Moya, underscoring the escalating risks faced by aid workers in the region.
The continued threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) has further complicated humanitarian access.
The ADF, which pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019, has remained a persistent threat despite joint military operations launched by the Congolese and Ugandan armed forces in 2021.
MONUSCO called for accountability for the attacks and urged greater protection for vulnerable communities caught in the escalating violence.