The number of lives lost in two separate assaults on civilians in eastern Congo has climbed to 89, according to Congolese officials.
Authorities reported late Tuesday that 71 people were massacred during a funeral in Nyoto on Monday, while another 18 were killed the following day in Beni. Both tragedies unfolded in the North Kivu region.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group connected to the Islamic State, has been suspected for the killings. These attacks are part of a wave of violence targeting civilians in the region.
North Kivu continues to suffer from overlapping conflicts, with ADF violence at the center. Operating along the Congo, Uganda border, the group has expanded its reach and attacks in recent years.
Since pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, the ADF has staged repeated mass killings, leaving communities destroyed. In response, the Congolese and Ugandan armies have launched joint operations to tackle the group’s activities, though the attacks have not abated.
