Escalating Rebel Attacks Trigger Deadly Protests in Eastern Congo

At least seven individuals have lost their lives in unrest in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu province due to an increase in deadly assaults by suspected Islamist insurgents.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel faction linked to the Islamic State, is accused of causing the deaths of over 40 individuals in an assault on Mayikengo village this past week, and over 80 in attacks on neighboring villages the week prior.

Citizen anger resulted in the deaths of two soldiers and their driver in Lubero territory, as a group set fire to their vehicle overnight on Friday.

Clashes between security forces and local residents on Saturday resulted in the fatalities of three more individuals: a civilian, a soldier, and an agent of the ANR national intelligence service.

The ADF, originally from Uganda but now situated in the resource-rich eastern Congo, has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State and carries out frequent attacks, further unsettling the area.