BENI, DR Congo: At least 11 people were killed in two sperate attacks near Beni in eastern DR Congo, said local authorities on Sunday, accusing the ADF rebel group.
Augustin Kapupa, an official in Matembo where the first attack took place told western media that the attack took place on Saturday night killing six civilians.
Kapupa blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group for the attack. The ADF, historically a Ugandan Muslim majority rebel coalition was established in eastern DRC in 1995. Its members since have killed thousands of civilians.
The group, one of the deadliest militias in the area, pledged its allegiance to the terrorist Islamic State group in 2019.
Beni official Makofi Bukuku added the death toll in Sayo could increase, as rebels are still in the area.
Bukuku said he had expected that Congolese armed forces, Ugandan troops and a MONUSCO UN peacekeeping presence would have brought peace in the area.
He said since the start of the year they are only recording deaths and abductions. He added that in less than three months, there have been more than 180 deaths. All the attacks were claimed by the militant Islamic State group.
Matembo civil society leader Germain Kathemika said the local population had been warning the military of the dangers posed by the presence of rebels in the area.
The armies of Uganda and Congo, began a joint military operation against the ADF in late 2021, but they have failed to stop their attacks so far.
