The key facts

  • OCHA reported at least 77 civilians killed in September in the Mambasa territory, Ituri province
  • The hardest-hit areas were Biakato, Bandisende and the surroundings of the Mambasa center
  • This week, local media reported 10 killed in an attack on mines in the Babila-Babombi chiefdom

UN data on September casualties

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 77 civilians were killed in September, allegedly by militants of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), in villages of Ituri province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Anadolu agency reported this on Saturday, citing an OCHA report.

Locations and nature of the attacks

The killings occurred during a series of attacks in the Mambasa territory. According to OCHA, the hardest-hit areas were Biakato, Bandisende and the surroundings of the Mambasa center, where civilians were killed with knives and firearms. It is also reported that the militants abducted several more people and set residential houses on fire while retreating.

Situation in the region and new attacks

According to civil society human rights organizations and local media, an unstable situation with attacks on civilians and population displacement persists in several areas of the Mambasa territory. This week, local media reported the deaths of at least 10 civilians in an attack attributed to ADF fighters on several mines in the Babila-Babombi chiefdom in the Mambasa territory.

Humanitarian consequences and context

According to OCHA, the attacks exacerbate humanitarian needs in the province, which has already been severely affected by the Ebola epidemic. The ADF group is linked to the Islamic State organization (banned in Russia) and has been operating in eastern Congo for several years.