Over 300 civilians executed by ADF rebels in eastern Congo, UN says
More than 300 civilians have been summarily executed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo since the beginning of 2026, according to the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC.
The killings were documented in the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu, where the armed group has continued to launch deadly attacks against local communities. The UN rights office said the violence has intensified concerns over the worsening security situation in the region, News.az reports, citing Xinhua.
The agency also condemned an attack carried out during the night of May 30–31 on a camp inhabited by indigenous Mbuti people in Ngadi, located in the Ruwenzori commune of Beni in North Kivu province. Congolese authorities reported that 15 civilians and one soldier were killed during the assault.
Local media reported on Thursday that ADF fighters carried out a series of attacks in the Beni region, leaving more than 40 civilians dead within a span of three days.
The ADF, a Ugandan-origin rebel movement affiliated with the Islamic State's Central African branch, has been active in eastern Congo for years. The group is accused of numerous massacres, kidnappings and attacks targeting civilians.
Its continued operations have prompted joint military offensives by Congolese and Ugandan forces since November 2021. Despite repeated security campaigns, the rebels have remained active across parts of eastern Congo, where ongoing violence has displaced thousands of people and fueled one of Africa’s longest-running humanitarian crises.
The latest wave of killings has renewed calls for stronger measures to protect civilians as authorities struggle to contain armed groups operating in the mineral-rich but conflict-ridden eastern regions of the country.
By Faig Mahmudov
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