7/16/2025 DRC (International Christian Concern) — During the night of July 8, members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the village of Katerrain in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killing at least five people with machetes and injuring many others.

No ADF attacks had been reported in this rural area for several months. Nouvel Espoir in the Beni-Mbau area, a local civil society group, condemned the latest killings and called for military operations to stop the attacks.

“The rebels disguised themselves as Wazalendo (local militia) before surrounding the village at around 9 p.m.,” the coordinator of Nouvel Espoir said, citing a survivor’s testimony. “The rebels came from the Ituri River and killed five people with machetes. Thirty minutes later, the mother of one survivor saw the rebels trying to take her son. That’s when she took the chance to escape. The number of victims may still rise.”

Joint forces from the Congolese army (FARDC) and the Ugandan army (UPDF) arrived on the morning of July 9, according to the civil society representative. He urged continued military efforts, saying that the rebels may still be in the area. He added that local farmers must remain vigilant and avoid falling into rebel traps.

“To those still farming in the vicinity, avoid areas that are not confirmed to be secure,” he said. “We still don’t know exactly where the rebels who killed our friends and relatives in Katerrain are. Authorities must continue pursuing them. We believe they haven’t gone far. They’re likely still nearby.”

This attack comes just days after the launch of a joint military operation by the two armies targeting ADF rebels in Babila-Bakwanza chiefdom, which borders Katerrain.

To read more news stories, visit the ICC Newsroom. For interviews, please email [email protected].