Deadly ADF Attack at Congo Funeral Claims Over 50 Lives

On the night of September 8, 2025, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State-affiliated rebel group, launched a brutal attack on a funeral in Ntoyo, located in North Kivu’s Lubero territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), killing over 50 civilians, according to local officials.

The Attack in Ntoyo

Macaire Sivikunula, a local administrator, reported a provisional death toll of 50, stating,

“Victims were ambushed during a mourning ceremony around 9 p.m., mostly killed with machetes.”

Colonel Alain Kiwewa, Lubero’s military administrator, estimated the toll could reach 60, as some individuals remain missing. The assailants also used firearms and set vehicles ablaze, per Samuel Kagheni, a local civil society leader.

ADF’s Ongoing Violence

The ADF, originating as a Ugandan uprising in the 1990s and now based in eastern DRC, has intensified its attacks recently.

The group, recognized as an Islamic State affiliate, claimed responsibility for five attacks targeting Christian civilians and Congolese and Ugandan forces, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

Last month, ADF assaults killed over 50 civilians, and a July attack on a church left 38 dead.

Response and Regional Context

Congolese soldiers arrived in Ntoyo on Tuesday morning, September 9, 2025, but army spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo noted the massacre had already occurred before intervention. Many residents are now fleeing the area, according to local Alain Kahindo Kinama.

The DRC and Ugandan armies have ramped up operations against the ADF, though the group continues to destabilize the mineral-rich region, already strained by Rwanda-backed M23 rebel advances earlier this year.

Broader Implications

The attack underscores the persistent insecurity in eastern DRC, where multiple armed groups exploit the region’s resources and instability.

U.S. efforts to broker peace amid M23 activities highlight the broader geopolitical stakes. The ADF’s actions, including targeting civilians at a funeral, signal an escalating threat that demands coordinated regional and international response.

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