Islamic State-linked militants kill 89 civilians in eastern Congo: UN

KINSHASA,— Islamic State (ISIS) affiliated fighters carried out a series of deadly assaults in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo during mid November, leaving at least 89 civilians dead across several communities in Lubero territory, the United Nations peacekeeping mission MONUSCO reported on Friday.

MONUSCO stated that combatants from the Allied Democratic Forces, known as the ADF, attacked multiple localities in North Kivu province between November 13 and November 19.

The mission noted that among those killed were at least 20 women and an unspecified number of children. Officials described the violence as part of a continuing pattern of assaults targeting rural populations.

One of the reported attacks occurred in Byambwe, where a health center operated by the Catholic Church was struck.

According to the mission, at least 17 people were killed there, including women who had arrived for maternity care. Several wards that housed patients were set on fire, leaving the facility heavily damaged.

MONUSCO also documented kidnappings and the looting of medical supplies during the same period.

In its statement, MONUSCO urged Congolese authorities to open what it called independent and credible investigations intended to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.

Local officials previously told Reuters that suspected ADF members killed 19 civilians in an overnight incident in the village of Mukondo in North Kivu province.

The ADF also claimed responsibility in September for an attack at a funeral in eastern Congo that killed more than 60 people, one of the group’s deadliest actions in recent months.

The ADF originated in Uganda but has operated from forested areas of Congo since the late 1990s. Islamic State recognizes the group as an affiliate. Despite operations by Congo’s army and Ugandan forces, the ADF’s attacks have continued.

Other parts of North Kivu remain under the control of M23 rebels, who advanced rapidly earlier this year.

The United States and Qatar are involved in mediation efforts aimed at reducing conflict, with Washington saying that progress could create conditions that support Western investment in the region’s mining sector.

(With files from Reuters)