At least 71 people were killed overnight from Monday to Tuesday in an attack by ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to local and security sources.
The ADF rebels had already carried out deadly assaults against civilians in July and August in North Kivu and Ituri, two provinces located in the east and northeast of the DRC, after several months of relative calm. The armed group launched a new attack in the village of Ntoyo, located in the Bapere sector of North Kivu, according to the same sources.
“For the moment, we have a toll of 71 dead,” said Macaire Sivikunula, head of the Bapere sector. The figure was confirmed by security sources. “Most of the people killed were attending a funeral,” explained Samuel Kagheni, president of the local civil society. Some victims “were burned alive in their homes while others trying to flee were shot dead,” he added. According to Kagheni, at least 14 houses were set on fire and four people wounded in the attack. The ADF had already attacked several localities in the sector between August 13 and 14, killing more than 40 people.
