New Year began in chaos and mourning for residents of Katanga village in the Mangurujipa area of Lubero Territory, North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

As families gathered to welcome 2026, armed fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out a deadly nighttime incursion, killing at least 15 people on Thursday, Jan. 1, in the Bapere Sector. Allied with the global Islamic State movement, the ADF is among the most dangerous terrorist groups in the DRC.

Local sources said the attackers emerged from the surrounding bush and struck a neighborhood only a few meters from a Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) position. The UPDF is in the DRC mainly to combat the ADF that threatens its country, and operates from eastern DRC. Gunfire echoed across the area, shattering what had been a calm and hopeful start to the year.

“We had gone through a long period without hearing gunfire or witnessing massacres in this area,” said one resident. “We believed peace was gradually becoming a reality. But today, the first day of the year, has brought a dark image to our community. It is unfortunate that the rebels have ruined a day meant for reflection on the past year and hope for the new one.”

Initial reports from Kakule Kagheni Samuel, president of Bapere’s civil society, indicated six deaths early Friday morning. However, the chief of Bapere Sector later revised the death toll to at least 15, including both civilians and soldiers, with several others injured.

Macaire Sivikunulwa, the chief of Bapere Sector, confirmed through a local contact that “the situation remains chaotic this Friday morning in several villages of Bapere,” as residents continue to grapple with fear and uncertainty in the aftermath of the attack.

Civil society leaders are calling for urgent action from judicial authorities and security services. Kakule Kagheni Samuel emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to neutralize armed groups terrorizing the population.

“For a long time, we have condemned the constant gunfire in this area. It is possible that the enemy used this tactic to distract people and blend into a familiar pattern of sporadic shooting. Justice must take its course. Investigations must be opened to bring to justice all those responsible for killing unarmed residents,” he said.

He also warned community leaders and residents to remain vigilant against misinformation circulating on social media. “There are messages and audio recordings from the enemy designed to create confusion. This strategy has misled people, allowing the enemy to continue killing innocent civilians,” he added.

For the people of Bapere and the wider Lubero Territory, already scarred by years of violence, the year 2026 has begun under a dark cloud, raising renewed fears of instability in a region long afflicted by conflict.

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