DRC (International Christian Concern) — Around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 14, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) launched a deadly raid on the village of Mbau, located in Beni Territory, North Kivu Province, in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  

According to initial reports from local authorities and civil society, the assault left three civilians dead, with several homes and one vehicle burned, as well as a hospital looted. 

The attack sent residents fleeing into the nearby forest, some carrying only what they could hold in their arms.  

“We heard gunshots around 9:30 at night,” a local who managed to escape said. “Everyone started running.” 

Local sources said the rebels approached the village and started opening fire and setting structures on fire as they advanced. The joint coalition of the Congolese army (FARDC) and the UPDF from Uganda, whose patrols are active in the region, reportedly arrived after the rebels had already retreated into the forest. 

The same ADF group has reportedly just restocked its supply of medicine to treat its own members after they vandalized a mission hospital in Mbau. They also attempted to break into the compound of Catholic sisters but failed.  

“We continue to call on the relevant authorities to take seriously the alerts issued by the local population, who have always done their part before each deadly ADF attack,” said Claude Musavuli Mayanga, a North Kivu human rights defender. “The immediate arrest of negligent commanders could help reassure the population that the national authorities are taking the ADF threat seriously, a threat that continues to claim the lives of innocent Congolese.”  

Georges Mbayi, a church leader in Mbau, called upon security officials to respond faster to incidents of terror targeting Christian communities.  

“The ADF continues to terrorize our communities,” he said. “Every attack leaves behind widows, orphans, and broken families who are forced to start life all over again from nothing. We are tired of burying our loved ones week after week, while living like people who have been forgotten by the world. Our children no longer sleep peacefully at night; they wake up screaming at the sound of gunfire in their dreams. We plead with the government and all security agencies to give us a stronger and faster military response that will shield our people from this pain and restore hope to our communities before we are completely wiped out.” 

The provisional death toll stands at three, though authorities caution that the number could rise as search efforts continue. 

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