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On August 30, 2023, an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo resulted in at least 35 deaths, ending a period of relative calm in the region, according to local sources. The ADF, initially formed from former Ugandan rebels and having pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019, targeted a Catholic church in Komanda where parishioners had gathered for prayer, residents reported via phone from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province.
“Last night around 9 p.m. (1900 GMT), we heard gunfire near the parish church, and so far, 35 bodies have been recovered,” said Dieudonne Katanabo, an elder from the Umoja neighborhood. Father Aime Lokana Dhego, the parish priest of Blessed Anuarite in Komanda, stated, “We have identified at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously wounded. Some young people were kidnapped, and we have no news of them.” He also mentioned that seven additional bodies were found elsewhere in town.
Christophe Munyanderu, head of the local NGO Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, estimated the death toll at 38, attributing the attack to ADF rebels. Lt. Jules Ngongo, an army spokesperson in Ituri, acknowledged the incident, confirming the attack and stating that authorities believe the assailants were affiliated with the ADF.
This violent incident marks a stark departure from several months of peace in Ituri Province, which borders Uganda. The last major assault by the ADF occurred in February, claiming 23 lives in Mambasa territory. Komanda, situated in Irumu Territory, functions as a commercial hub linking Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema provinces.
Despite deploying Ugandan and Congolese forces to combat the ADF, the group has continued its campaign of violence, killing thousands of civilians and intensifying looting. In late 2021, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo launched a joint military operation named “Shujaa” to eliminate the insurgents, but so far, the effort has not succeeded in dislodging the rebels entirely.
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