By Brian Kiprono - Reporter
November, 21 2025 - At least 89 civilians, including more than 20 women and an unknown number of children, have been killed in a string of violent attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO has confirmed. The killings took place between November 13 and 19 in several villages across Lubero Territory in North Kivu, an area already overwhelmed by insecurity and displacement.
The attackers are believed to be fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group with links to Islamic State that has stepped up its brutal assaults on communities living deep inside Congo’s forests.
One of the worst incidents occurred in Byambwe, where armed men stormed a Catholic Church-run health centre. According to MONUSCO, 17 people—including women receiving maternity care—were shot dead inside the facility before the rebels set four patient wards on fire. Medical supplies were looted, and the injured were left with nowhere to turn for help.
Other villages, including Mabiango, Tunarudi, Sambalysa, Thucha, and Butsili, reported killings, kidnappings, burned homes, and destroyed property. Many of these communities were already struggling with hunger and displacement long before the attacks.
“Violence against civilians, including inside medical facilities, may amount to war crimes,” said Bruno Lemarquis, MONUSCO’s Acting Head. He expressed deep condolences to grieving families and warned that the scale of the violence reflects a worsening situation that must not be ignored.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel movement, has operated in Congo since the late 1990s. Despite joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces, the group continues to carry out deadly raids. In September, the ADF claimed responsibility for an attack on a funeral that left more than 60 people dead one of the deadliest incidents this year.
MONUSCO says its troops remain deployed in affected regions and have recently supported Congolese forces through several operations to push back ADF fighters and secure major population centres. But the mission is urging the government to launch independent and credible investigations and ensure those responsible are brought to justice. Lemarquis also echoed the UN Secretary-General’s call for all armed groups, local and foreign, to lay down their weapons unconditionally.
