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Updated September 3rd, 2021 at 20:37 IST

DR Congo: ADF rebels kill 5, kidnap 20 after ambushing convoy under military escort

In eastern Congo, Allied Democratic Forces rebels ambushed a stalled civilian convoy that was under military escort and abducted around 80 people.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
DR Congo
IMAGE: TWITTER | Image:self
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Rebels in eastern Congo on September 1 ambushed a stalled civilian convoy that was under military escort, the army said. According to the Associated Press, the rebel group ADF, or Allied Democratic Forces rebels, killed five people and abducted around 80 people initially, however, the army later said that they were able to rescue 60 of them. However, about 20 people remain missing. While speaking to the media outlet, Capt Jules Ngongo, the spokesman for the Congolese Army in Ituri province, said that the attack took place after the convoy had stopped to repair one of the vehicles. 

“We call on people to remain calm and to trust their army because it is difficult to fight the terrorists, but we will fight for peace to return as soon as possible,” Ngongo said.

According to the news agency, the latest attack has prompted more outcry in eastern Congo. Civilians also say that the rebel group is stepping up its attacks. Christian Munyanderu, a coordinator of a local human rights group, said, “What is the purpose of our army? How can a convoy of civilian vehicles be attacked when they were secured by the army? Without capturing even one rebel.” 

It is worth mentioning that the ADF trace their origins to nearby Uganda. They have long carried out attacks in eastern Congo, at times bringing gunfire to the city centre of Beni. The attacks have even repeatedly prompted anger about the inability of the Congolese army and UN peacekeepers to stop the violence. 

DR Congo accepts US military help against ADF 

Meanwhile, DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi last month authorised US special forces to help the Congolese Army battle the ADF. The US forces are expected to boost the DRC army’s fight against ADF in the national parks of Virunga and Garamba. The mission will last several weeks and is specifically directed against the ISIL (ISIS) linked armed group. 

ADF has already been deemed as a “terrorist” group by the United States. It is considered the deadliest of dozens of armed militias that roam the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Catholic Church in the country has said that the rebel group has killed about 6,000 civilians since 2013, while a US-based monitor, the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), blames it for more than 1,200 deaths in the Beni area alone since 2017.

(With inputs from AP)

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Published September 3rd, 2021 at 20:37 IST

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