IS-Linked ADF Kills Over 70 in Eastern Congo Funeral Attack

At least 60 to 71 people were killed in an attack by the ISIS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) at a funeral wake in the village of Ntoyo, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The assailants, armed with machetes, guns, and axes, gathered victims before attacking, with many killed by machetes and some shot, and vehicles set on fire. The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels who pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019, have exploited ongoing conflict in the mineral-rich eastern DRC, a region plagued by numerous armed groups vying for control. This attack follows a series of brutal assaults by the ADF this year, including massacres at a Catholic church and multiple villages, involving killings, kidnappings, looting, and destruction of property. The violence in eastern Congo is intensified by conflict between the DRC, Rwanda-backed M23 militia, and other groups, with the UN investigating possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by all sides. The humanitarian situation remains dire as the region's abundant mineral resources continue to fuel ongoing conflicts.