Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels continue to spread death and devastation in the Christian-majority region of Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

According to the Mamove civil society organization, as reported by its president, Kinos Katuo, the attackers struck between May 5 and May 6. The ADF rebels killed civilians in several villages in North Kivu and Ituri, including Katerain, Mangambo, Ikaya, and Ndalya, bringing the death toll to 24 people in two days. In broad daylight on May 7, they massacred 20 more people in Biakato. 

This situation has also drawn a reaction from Washington, D.C. Massad Boulos, senior advisor for Africa at the U.S. Department of State, condemned the attacks. According to the American official, these acts of violence illustrate the seriousness of the threat, and he reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to promoting peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region. 

“The Islamic State in the DRC has carried out brutal attacks against civilians in eastern DRC, including targeted violence against Christian communities,” Massad Boulos posted on X on May 7. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. The attacks reported in Beni during the night of May 5–6 highlight the urgency of this threat. The United States remains committed to working with the DRC and its neighbors to promote peace and prosperity in the Great Lakes region. We stand in solidarity with Christian communities facing violence and persecution.” 

The DRC continues to be shaken by terrorist attacks carried out by the ADF in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, particularly in the territories of Beni, Lubero, Irumu, and Mambasa. These militants, who have pledged allegiance to the so‑called Islamic State group, have been killing civilians for more than 10 years. The violence has not decreased, despite joint military operations by the Congolese and Ugandan armies since May 2021. 

This issue was at the center of the March 2026 parliamentary session in Kinshasa. The president of the National Assembly, Aimé Boji, urged the government to give greater attention to the ADF problem and to make it a subject of international engagement, similar to the diplomatic efforts surrounding the crisis linked to the AFC/M23 rebellion, supported by Rwanda, which occupies large areas of North Kivu and South Kivu. Boji even suggested that the ADF issue be raised with the United States, guarantors of the Washington Agreements. 

According to a new report by Amnesty International, titled “I Had Never Seen So Many Bodies: War Crimes Committed by the Allied Democratic Forces in Eastern DRC,” the document highlights the ADF’s violent attacks against civilians, including abductions, forced labor, the recruitment and use of children, and other abuses, particularly targeting women and girls. 

Today, many people are leaving their villages for larger cities that appear more secure, yet they are now facing hunger and other difficulties linked to this new way of life. 

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