DR Congo: At Least 42 killed in Suspected Islamist Rebel Attack
The Facts
At least 42 people were killed in an overnight attack blamed on Islamic State-linked rebels in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local authorities said on Thursday.
The attack is said to have occurred in the Mayikengo village in North Kivu province's eastern Lubero region. The local administrator, Alain Kiwewa Mitela, blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State affiliate, for the assault.
The Spin
The latest ADF attack is a grim reminder that eastern DRC is facing one of the most serious, complex and neglected conflicts in the world. Joint military operations by Ugandan and Congolese forces against ADF rebels have failed to stop attacks on civilians, while Rwandan-backed M23 are also causing renewed terror. Kinshasa has failed in fighting the armed rebels, and it is the population that is paying a terrible price.
