Allied Democratic Forces insurgency

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Allied Democratic Forces insurgency
Part of Kivu conflict

A UNFIB soldier standing guard during an operation against the ADF on the outskirts of Beni
Date13 November 1996 – present[7]
(28 years, 9 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Uganda, DR Congo
Status Ongoing
Belligerents

Uganda
DR Congo

MONUSCO

ADF (1996–2015)

ISIL[1]

ADF-Mukulu

RCD/K-ML

Mai-Mai Kyandenga (2020–present)
Supported by:

FARDC elements[3]
LRA[4]
Al-Shabaab[1] (disputed)[5]
Various Jihadi groups (Ugandan and MONUSCO claim)[5]
Sudan (1990s; currently unknown)[6]
Commanders and leaders

Yoweri Museveni
Félix Tshisekedi (from 2019)
Joseph Kabila (until 2019)

James Aloizi Mwakibolwa

Jamil Mukulu (POW)[1]
Musa Baluku (WIA)
Hood Lukwago (Possibly KIA)[8]
Yusuf Kabanda †
Muhammad Kayiira †
Ashraf Lukwago

Frank Kithasamba[7][9]
Strength

2019–2020:

/ Islamic State 1,500–2,000[12]
Casualties and losses
Unknown
Many[13]
17+ killed[13][1] (at least 15 Tanzanian,[13] 1 Malawian,[14] 1 South African[15])		 1,590–2,090+ killed[16]
314+ captured[17]
3,424+ people killed (including civilians, soldiers and rebels)[18][19][20][21][22]
150,000+ displaced[6]

The Allied Democratic Forces insurgency is an ongoing conflict waged by the Allied Democratic Forces in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), against the governments of those two countries and the MONUSCO. The insurgency began in 1996, intensifying in 2013, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The ADF is known to currently control a number of hidden camps which are home to about 2,000 people; in these camps, the ADF operates as a proto-state with "an internal security service, a prison, health clinics, and an orphanage" as well as schools for boys and girls.[23]

Background

[edit]

The ADF was formed by Jamil Mukulu, an ultra conservative Ugandan Muslim belonging to the Tablighi Jamaat group. Mukulu was born as David Steven and was baptised as a Catholic, later converting to Islam, adopting a Muslim name and becoming radicalised. He reportedly spent the early 1990s in Khartoum, Sudan, coming into personal contact with Osama bin Laden.[7]

ADF merged with the remnants of another rebel group, the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU), during the years following the fall of Idi Amin. ADF-NALU's initial goal was to overthrow Ugandan president's Yoweri Museveni government, replacing it with an Islamic fundamentalist state. The group went on to recruit former officers of the Ugandan army, as well as volunteers from Tanzania and Somalia. Funded by the illegal mining and logging industries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ADF created 15 well organised camps in the Rwenzori Mountains, located in the DRC-Uganda border areas. The insurgence remained unaffected by government amnesty and talk efforts, as members married local women.[24]

According to intelligence sources, ADF has collaborated with al-Shabaab and Lord's Resistance Army. Receiving training and logistic support, with limited direct involvement from al-Shabaab's side. Other alleged sponsors of the faction include Sudanese Islamist politician Hassan al-Turabi and former DRC president Mobutu Sese Seko.[7][4]

Formed in 1989, ADF carried out its first attacks in 1995. The conflict gradually intensified, culminating in the 1998 Kichwamba Technical College attack, which left 80 people dead, with 80 more being abducted. By 2002, continuous pressure from the Ugandan Army forced ADF to relocate most of its activities into the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo. The insurgency continued on a smaller scale until 2013, which marked a resurgence of ADF activity, with the group launching a recruitment campaign along with numerous attacks.[7][25][26]

Beni killings

[edit]

A report of The Congo Research Group at New York University, released in September 2017, indicted the Congolese Army commanders of orchestrating the massacres in Beni from 2014 to 2016. It cited multiple witnesses saying that army commanders, including the former top general in the zone, supported and in some cases organized the killings. Sources told it that during some massacres, soldiers secured the perimeter so that victims could not escape. It stated that the first massacres were orchestrated in 2013 by former leaders of the rebel group Popular Congolese Army (APC), which fought in the Congo War of 1998–2003 to create a new rebellion and undermine confidence in the central government of DRC. These rebels were working with ADF per the report. However, when the massacres began, the army commanders co-opted many of the networks of the local militias to weaken their rivals.[27]

Timeline

[edit]

1996

[edit]

On 13 November 1996, ADF perpetrated its first large-scale attack on the towns of Bwera and Mpondwe-Lhubiriha in Kasese district, Uganda. Approximately 50 people were killed in the attack. 25,000 people fled the towns, before they were recaptured by Ugandan troops.[28][29]

1998

[edit]

On 20 February 1998, ADF abducted 30 children, in the aftermath of an attack on a Seventh-Day Adventist College in Mitandi, Kasese district.[6]

On 4 April 1998, 5 people were killed and at least 6 were wounded, when bombs exploded at two restaurants in Kampala.[30]

On 8 June 1998, ADF rebels killed 80 students of the Kichwamba Technical College in Kabarole District, Uganda. 80 students were abducted in the same raid.[30]

In June 1998, ADF rebels abducted over 100 school children from a school in Hoima, Uganda.[30]

In August 1998, 30 people were killed in three separate bus bombings, perpetrated by ADF.[30]

1999

[edit]

Between 10 April 1999 – 30 May 1999 ADF carried out seven attacks, resulting in 11 deaths and 42 wounded.[6]

On 9 December 1999, ADF attacked the Katojo prison facility, releasing 360 prisoners held for terrorism.[6]

2000

[edit]

On 20 April, Chief of Staff of the ADF, Commander Benz surrendered to the UPDF and was the first senior commander to do so.[31]

2007

[edit]
A joint MONUSCO-FARDC patrol during an anti ADF operation.

During March 2007, the UPDF engaged ADF groups in multiple firefights, killing at least 46 in Bundibugyo and Mubende districts. The biggest battle occurred on March 27, when the UPDF faced an estimated 60 ADF troops and killed 34, including three senior commanders. The UPDF claimed to have retrieved numerous weapons as well as documents that tie the ADF to the LRA.[4]

On 13 April 2007, the UPDF and ADF engaged in an intense battle inside the Semuliki National Park, near the upscale Semliki Lodge tourist destination.[32]

On 4 December 2007, 200 ADF and NALU militants surrendered to Ugandan authorities.[6]

2008

[edit]

Ceasefire and amnesty talks between the government of Uganda and the ADF were held in Nairobi starting in May 2008. Negotiations were complicated by the fragmentation of the ADF's leadership.[33] Non-combatant dependents of the ADF were repatriated to Uganda by the IOM. At least 48 ADF fighters surrendered and were given amnesty.[34] As the threat from the LRA in the DRC waned, the UPDF put increasing focus on the ADF as a reason for UPDF personnel to remain in the DRC.[35]

2012

[edit]

Between February 2012 to March 2012, over 60 ADF insurgents were arrested within Uganda.[17]

2013

[edit]

On 24 January 2013, insurgents tortured and later executed 13 people who were previously abducted from the city of Oicha, North Kivu.[36]

In April 2013, it was reported that ADF started a recruitment campaign in Kampala and other parts of the country.[26] Citing a defector from ADF, "allAfrica" reported that some 10 new recruits joined ADF forces every day.[26]

In July 2013, the ADF renewed its fighting in the Congolese district of Beni. According to the UN Radio Okapi, the ADF together with the NALU, fought a pitched battle with the FARD, briefly taking the towns of Mamundioma and Totolito.[37] On July 11, the ADF attacked the town of Kamango, triggering the flight of over 60,000 refugees across the border into the Ugandan district of Bundibugyo.[38]

Early in September 2013, regional leaders under the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) asked the recently formed combative Intervention Brigade under MONUSCO to attack positions of foreign negative forces operating in DRC, including the ADF.[39]

On 23 September 2013, 3 people were killed during an ADF attack in the Watalinga Sector, North Kivu, DRC.[39]

On 27 September 2013, ADF militants killed five and abducted 30 people in an attack on a health center in the city of Maleki, DRC.[40]

On 23 October 2013, ADF guerrillas abducted 26 people from the village of Upira, North Kivu, later transferring them to the rebel strongholds of Makembi and Chuchubo.[41]

In the period between November 2012 and November 2013, ADF carried out 300 kidnappings.[42]

On 14 December 2013, 13 people were killed, in the aftermath of an ADF attack on the Musuku village, Uganda.[43]

On 15 December 2013, ADF killed eight people in the Biangolo village, Uganda.[43]

On 25 December 2013, ADF rebels attacked the city of Kamango, DRC. Over 50 civilians were killed and many buildings were burnt down. The city was retaken by the Congolese army the following day.[44]

On 29 December 2013, ADF rebels launched another attack on the city of Kamango. The ADF militants beheaded 21 civilians and urged the residents of the city to flee to Uganda.[44]

2014

[edit]

On 17 January 2014, the Congolese army drove ADF militants soldiers out of the city of Beni, with the aid of UN's "Intervention Brigade" peace corps.[44]

On 17 February 2014, a Congolese army spokesman announced that the military had killed 230 ADF rebels in the aftermath of a monthlong offensive, 23 FARDC soldiers were also killed in the operation.[45]

On 23 March 2014, South African helicopters struck ADF forces for the first time, in support of Operation Sukola 1.[46]

Between 5–8 October 2014, ADF militants killed 15 people, within the North Kivu province, DRC.[47]

On 15 October 2014, ADF rebels killed 27 people in an attack on villages, located outside Beni.[47]

On 18 October 2014, ADF insurgents killed over 20 people, in an attack on the village of Byalos, DRC.[47]

On 31 October 2014, a crowd stoned to death, burned and then ate a suspected ADF insurgent in the town of Beni. The incident came after a number of ADF raids, that brought the October's civilian death toll to over 100 people.[48]

On 20 November 2014, rebels disguised as Congolese soldiers killed between 50 and 80 people near Beni.[49]

On 8 December 2014, militants hacked to death 36 civilians in the vicinity of Beni.[50]

On 26 December 2014, an ADF attack resulted in the deaths of 11 people, in the village of Ndumi, Ituri.[51]

2015

[edit]

On 4 January 2015, a joint MONUSCO – FARDC offensive forced ADF militants out of the Mavure village, North Kivu. One rebel was killed, as government forces seized large amounts of drugs and training materials.[52]

On 5 February 2015, ADF carried out a night raid on the city of Beni hacking to death 23 people and injuring one.[53]

On 9 March 2015, ADF rebels killed one and injured two civilians in the area of the Semliki bridge, North Kivu.[54]

On 15 April 2015, an ADF attack on the villages of Matiba and Kinzika, Beni-Mbau sector, DRC, led to the deaths of 18 people.[55]

On 23 April 2015, ADF rebels massacred five civilians in the village of Kalongo, 6 km northwest of Oïcha.[56]

On 30 April 2015, the Ugandan media reported that the ADF's leader, Jamil Mukulu, had been arrested in Tanzania.[57]

On 8 May 2015, suspected ADF guerrillas attacked the Matembo neighborhood of the town of Mulekere, North Kivu. Seven people were slain in the attack bringing the region's 2015 death toll to over 300 casualties.[58]

In early December 2015, the ADF seized a MONUSCO base in North Kivu, killing a Malawian UN soldier in doing so. South African UN forces later retook the base, attacking with Rooivalk attack helicopters.[59]

2016

[edit]

29 February – Thirteen civilians were killed by suspected Ugandan rebels in the Beni territory in eastern DRC. The killings took place in the village of Ntombi, located about 40 km northeast of Beni, an area massacres and recurrent attacks attributed to Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group opposed to the Ugandan government and is considered a terrorist organisation.[60]

20 March – A priest of the Congregation of Caracholine Nyamilima was shot and critically wounded like his driver and a child present in the same car. The attackers was the Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group opposed to the Ugandan government and is considered a terrorist organisation[61]

In early May 2016, assailants from the ADF armed with machetes hacked at least 16 civilians to death in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.[62]

According to the Congolese military, at least nine people were hacked to death in an ADF attack in a village 30 km north of Beni in July 2016.[63]

The ADF has been blamed for the Beni massacre.

2017

[edit]

7 October – ADF fighters ambush a group of state officials near Beni, killing 22.[1]

8 October – The ADF attacks a UN base in Goma, killing two peacekeepers and wounding 12.[1]

8 December – Hundreds of ADF insurgents launch a coordinated attack on a UN base in North Kivu province, killing at least 15 UN peacekeepers and five Congolese soldiers in a protracted, hours-long gun battle before finally withdrawing. 72 insurgents are also killed in the firefight.[13]

2018

[edit]

15 January – Three Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers were killed while repelling an attack in the eastern Beni region by ADF Ugandan extremist rebels. Five others were wounded.[64][65]

2 February – Three people were killed in an attack by rebels of the ADF who also looted a hospital in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.[66]

3 March – Six people were shot dead and another was stabbed to death in a raid by ADF rebels in the village of Eringeti in Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province.[67]

5–6 March – Twenty people were killed in several attacks by the ADF in the province of North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than 15 others were reported missing after the attacks and probably kidnapped by the attackers.[68][69]

8 September – Muhammad Kirumira, the former police commissioner for Uganda's Buyende District, is gunned down by several assassins. A female friend of Kirumira's is also killed in the attack. In 2019, Ugandan authorities link the attack to the ADF and arrest two suspects. A third suspect dies in a shootout with police on September 28.[70]

4 October – ADF militants attacked an army outpost in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least 6 people.[71]

3 November – Allied Democratic Forces Rebels killed at least 7 people and abducted 15 others including 10 children in raids and attacks in the DRC's North Kivu province.[citation needed]

16 November – An ADF ambush near Beni, DRC, leaves 8 UN peacekeepers and 12 Congolese soldiers dead and 10 peacekeepers wounded. Additionally, one peacekeeper remains missing.[72]

22 November – Unidentified rebels, presumed to be ADF militants, open fire on a UN helicopter near the Ugandan border in eastern DRC. UN forces return fire before retreating back to base. Although the helicopter is damaged, there are no recorded casualties.[73]

27 November – ADF militants launch a nighttime assault on Oicha, DRC, killing six civilians. Congolese soldiers successfully repel the assault, killing one insurgent.[74]

11 December – ADF insurgents bypass Congolese army units and launch a second nighttime attack on Oicha, killing nine civilians and looting several homes.[75]

23 December – ADF forces attack the village of Masiani, just outside Beni, DRC, killing four civilians and a soldier. Three civilians are wounded.[76]

27 December – Protesters in Beni attack a medical holding center for patients infected with the Ebola virus, burning three tents and looting supplies. Congolese authorities blame the ADF.[77]

2019

[edit]

7 January – ADF insurgents launch an attack on a market in the village of Mavivi, just north of Beni. Eight civilians (five of them children) are killed outright and at least two others later die of their injuries. Dozens of homes and farms are looted.[78]

9 January – ADF insurgents attack a Congolese army outpost in Beni. Three Congolese soldiers and seven civilians are killed in the resulting gun battle. An additional two Congolese soldiers are wounded.[79]

21 January – ADF insurgents attack Congolese soldiers in the village of Mapou, just outside Oicha.[80]

24 January – Three people are killed and two others were wounded in an ambush attack by presumed members of the ADF, in the province of North Kivu, on a highway that led to the city of Beni, four vehicles were left damaged by bullets.[81]

12 February – Congolese soldiers attack an ADF camp in Mamove, about 50 kilometers outside of Beni. Four insurgents are killed in the resulting firefight, and four hostages are rescued. Congolese soldiers also recover medicine that had been previously looted by the ADF.[82]

8 March – A park ranger is shot dead by unknown assailants in Virunga National Park. Congolese authorities blame the ADF for the killing.[83]

19 March – ADF fighters, disguised as security officers, infiltrate and attack Kalau, a majority-Christian village located just outside Beni. The resulting 4-hour assault kills six Christian civilians, including a 9-month-old child, and forces nearly 500 others to flee their homes.[84]

2 April – Ugandan authorities report that the ADF has begun establishing bases in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Province.

5 April – 35-year-old American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her native guide are kidnapped by a group of armed gunmen in Queen Elizabeth National Park, near the Uganda-DRC border. Endicott and her guide are released two days later after authorities reach a settlement with the kidnappers. Although the assailants have not been identified, it is strongly suspected by both Ugandan authorities and the United States that the ADF is behind the abduction.[85]

29 May – Suspected ADF fighters launch a massive assault on Congolese army barracks and UN Peacekeeping forces in the village of Ngite, near Mavivi, DRC. After the militants briefly capture the barracks, a joint UN-Congolese army counterattack inflicts heavy losses on the ADF, which withdraws following an intense firefight. At least 26 insurgents are killed in the gun battle. One South African UN Peacekeeper is wounded by a shot to the foot. Dozens of weapons, including AK-47s, machetes, grenades, mortars, and PKM machine guns, are recovered. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the attack.[86][87]

4 June – ADF fighters attack a village in northeastern Beni, DRC, in an Ebola zone. 13 civilians and two Congolese soldiers are killed in the attack and a teenage girl is abducted by the militants. Congolese soldiers successfully repel the assault, killing one attacker. Clashes resume in the area later in the day. ISIL again claims responsibility for the attack.[88]

7 June – Officials from Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and the DRC meet in Kinshasa to discuss a joint response to the ADF insurgency in North Kivu.[89]

22 July – ADF militants attack the cities of Eringeti and Oicha, killing a total of 12 civilians (nine in Eringeti and three in Oicha). 10 civilians, including children, are abducted. That same day, the ADF clashes with Congolese soldiers in the towns of Mangboko and Masulukwed, resulting in 11 fatalities.[90] ISIL claims responsibility for the attacks.[91]

27 August – A major ADF attack on Boga in the DRC's Ituri Province results in the abduction of 100–200 civilians and the looting of livestock, medicine, and food. Congolese soldiers engage in combat with the attackers, but no casualties are reported and there are conflicting reports of the effectiveness of the military's response. The attack lasts for about three hours.[92][93]

5 September – Tanzanian soldiers detain a truck full of cows destined for the DRC, alleging the shipment was arranged by ADF supporters to provide food for insurgents in the Congo.[94]

14 September – Congolese soldiers repel a suspected ADF attack on the town of Kitchanga. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant claims responsibility for the assault.[95]

31 October – The Congolese army launched a large scale offensive against the ADF in the Beni Territory of the North Kivu Province. According to spokesman General Leon Richard Kasonga, "The DRC armed forces launched large-scale operations overnight Wednesday to eradicate all domestic and foreign armed groups that plague the east of the country and destabilize the Great Lakes region." The operation is being carried out by the FARDC without any foreign support.[96] The focus is primarily on the ADF but also other armed groups are being targeted.[97]

13 November – Ukrainian Mil Mi-24 helicopters operated by MONUSCO conduct airstrikes on an ADF insurgent group attacking an army base near the Semuliki River. The militants retreat into the surrounding woods following the airstrikes. No peacekeepers are reported injured.[98]

15–16 November – During the night of November 14–15, ADF insurgents attack a neighborhood in Beni, looting shops and homes. At least 15 civilians are killed, many of them by machete. It is believed the ADF carried out the attack in response to the renewed Congolese army offensive.[99] According to Congolese authorities, more than 40 civilians have been killed in such attacks since the Congolese army began a renewed offensive in early November.[100]

30 November – Congolese soldiers kill a high-ranking ADF commander, Mouhamed Islam Mukubwa, during an assault in the Mapobu forest in northeastern North Kivu. Mukubwa was described as one of the three major leaders of the ADF. Another senior ADF leader, Nasser Abdullayi Kikuku, was also killed earlier in the month.[101]

6 December – Two ADF attacks in the villages of Mantumbi and Kolokoko kill 17 civilians – two of whom are beheaded by machete.[102]

10 December – The United States imposes sanctions on ADF leader Musa Baluku and five other Congolese Islamist rebels.[103]

2020

[edit]
FARDC inspecting equipment seized from ADF rebels, May 2020
Main article: 2020 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks

13 January – 30 Congolese soldiers are killed and 70 are wounded in an intense battle with ADF militants at the ADF's headquarters camp, nicknamed "Madina", near Beni. 40 ADF insurgents are also reported killed, including five top commanders. The Congolese army nevertheless captures the camp, but fails to apprehend the target of the raid, ADF leader Musa Baluku.[104]

28 January – ADF militants hack 38 civilians to death with machetes in Oicha.[105][106]

30 January – ADF militants kill 21 civilians in three separate attacks on Oicha, Ache, and Mandumbi.[105]

8 February – ADF militants kill eight civilians and abduct 20 others in Magina, near Beni. The militants retreat after being confronted by police.[105]

9 February – 60 ADF fighters attack the village of Makeke, DRC, and kill seven civilians. Congolese soldiers and UN Peacekeepers respond and pursue the fleeing militants into the woods. After being cornered, 40 ADF fighters surrender to the Congolese army.[107]

17 February – An ADF attack in Beni kills at least eight civilians, an intelligence agent, and a Congolese soldier.[108]

18 February – ADF militants kill 12 civilians and burn down several houses in a village east of Beni.[109]

19 February – Five civilians taken hostage by the ADF are found murdered near Virunga National Park.[110]

24–25 February – Congolese soldiers and ADF insurgents clash on two occasions in the Kadohu village in Beni after government forces intercept an ADF raiding party. Seven ADF fighters and 2 Congolese soldiers are killed, and one ADF fighter is captured.[111]

28 February – The Congolese army releases a statement claiming to have pushed the ADF out of their last stronghold in the Beni region.[112]

1 March – ADF fighters are accused of killing 24 civilians and 12 others in an attack on a village in Ituri province.[113]

9–25 March – Scattered clashes in eastern Congo kill 14 Congolese soldiers and 62 ADF insurgents.[114]

20–24 March – Heavy fighting outside Beni kills 12 Congolese soldiers and 37 ADF insurgents. Congolese military officers report that the ADF's influence in North Kivu has been reduced by 80%.[115]

30 March – The ADF releases 38 hostages following a skirmish that left two civilians and one Congolese soldier dead.[116]

6 April – An ADF attack on the town of Halungpa (18 miles away from Beni) kills six civilians, including a child.[117]

14 April – A civilian is killed in an ADF attack on Beni. The Congolese army repels the assault in a skirmish that leaves two soldiers and five insurgents dead.[118]

24 May – 9 civilians killed in an ADF attack on Beni, the ADF burned several houses to the ground as well. The army claimed they killed 17 of the attackers.[119]

25 May – 17 civilians killed in an ADF on the village of Makutano.[120][121]

26 May – At least 40 civilians were killed with machetes in an attack by the ADF on a village in Ituri province. The ADF also looted food and valuables in the attack.[122]

16 June – 6 Civilians including 4 women were killed and 6 more missing in an ADF attack along the Eringeti-Kainama road in North Kivu. More than 60 homes were also burned by the ADF in the attack.[123]

19 June – 9 Civilians were kidnapped then killed by the ADF.[124]

20 June – 10 Civilians were killed when the ADF Attacked the village of Bukaka.[124]

20 June – Another 10 Civilians were killed when the ADF attacked the village of Biangolo.[125]

21 June – 10 Civilians were killed when the ADF attacked the village of Vukaka.[125]

22 June – A UN Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and another injured in an attack on their patrol. The attack took place in the town of Makisabo near the city of Beni in the North Kivu province.[126]

22 August – ADF killed 13 civilians during raids on the villages of Kinziki-Matiba and Wikeno.[127]

8 September – ADF militants, fleeing military pressure in Beni, stormed the village of Tshabi, killing 23 people.[128]

10 September – ADF militants once again attacked Tshabi in Ituri province, killing 35 people. It was the second attack on the town in Irumu territory in two days. The terrorists assaulted civilians with knives and firearms and destroyed the villages.[128]

20 September – ADF rebels killed 10 civilians in the town of Mbau.[129]

25 September – Eleven bodies were found in the town of Mutuanga after an ADF attack at night.[130]

5 October – Six were killed when the ADF attacked the town of Mamove.[131]

5 October – The ADF together with the Mai-Mai Kyandenga attack FARDC troops in the Mamove locality killing 10 civilians.[132]

20 October – 1,335 prisoners were freed when the ADF attacked Kangbayi central prison and a military camp that provided security to it in Beni. 2 inmates were killed in the attack.[133]

28–30 October – 40 people were killed in ADF attacks in the villages of Baeti and Lisasa. People were also kidnapped and churches set on fire.

30 October – 21 civilians were killed during ADF raids on the villages of Kamwiri, Kitsimba, and Lisasa. 20 civilians were also abducted and fire was set to many buildings including a Catholic church.[134]

17 November – 29 bodies were found in Virunga National Park after being killed by ADF terrorists.[135]

22 December – 4 civilians and 1 soldier were killed in an attack on Bulongo.[136]

30 December – ADF captures Loselose village.[137]

31 December – 25 civilians were massacred by ADF on New Year's Eve in the village of Tingwe.[137]

2021

[edit]
Main article: 2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo attacks
Further information: Operation Shujaa

1 January – DRC army supported by UN peacekeepers captures village of Loseslose from ADF. Two DRC soldiers and 14 ADF militiamen were killed during the fighting, seven DRC soldiers were wounded as well.[138]

4 January – 25 civilians were killed and several more kidnapped by ADF during their attacks on Tingwe, Mwenda and Nzenga villages. Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres again called for global ceasefire after the killings, he also urged DRC "to take concrete steps to address the drivers of conflict in the east of the country". Local leaders Bozy Sindiwako and Muvunga Kimwele said that army intervened too late to push back the rebels. DRC officials announced that they discovered 21 bodies which were "in a state of decomposition" in Loselose and Loulo.[139][140][141]

15 January – Three soldiers and 13 civilians were killed when suspected ADF militants attacked the village of Ndalya, 60 miles south of the city of Bunia in Ituri province.[142]

1 March – 10 civilians were killed in 2 different attacks by suspected ADF militants in eastern DRC. 8 were slain in the Boyo village, with 2 more in the Kainama village.[143]

31 March – 23 civilians were killed in a village near Beni.[144]

31 May – 57 civilians were killed in displacement camps near the towns of Boga and Tchabi in eastern DRC, according to the UN.[145]

1 July – US Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Michael A. Hammer, announces that the US government will assist in training Congolese forces and with intelligence sharing.[146]

25 October – Principal actor behind many of the armed groups within eastern DRC, John Tibasima, is arrest by FARDC forces.[147]

8 December – suspected ADF fighters killed 16 people in the rural communes of Mangina and nearby Masiriko in North Kivu province of DRC.[148]

2022

[edit]
Further information: Operation Shujaa

2023

[edit]
Further information: Operation Shujaa
  • 15 January – Kasindi church bombing
  • 22 January – Makugwe massacre
  • 8–9 March – Mukondi massacre
  • 17 June – 42 people are killed by IS-CAP (ADF) fighters in the Lhubiriha Secondary School attack in Mpondwe, Uganda
  • 17 October – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels killed 2 foreign tourists and their Ugandan guide in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda [149]
  • 24 October – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels killed 23–26 Christian civilians in an attack targeting the city of Oicha located in the Beni district of North Kivu, Eastern DR Congo[150]
  • 28 October – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels killed four people, including two Ugandan soldiers in a car park in Kasindi, Beni Territory. A fifth body, assumed to be a perpetrator, was also found.[151]
  • 12 November – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels tied up and killed at least 23 villagers in Eastern DR Congo. Some villagers fled by crossing the Lamia River into Uganda, but are suspected to have drowned.[152]
  • 14 November – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels killed and beheaded at least 14 people in an attack on a farming community in North Kivu. Rebels used machetes to carry out the massacre, and burned down houses. Other farmers were still missing after the attack.[153]
  • 18 December – IS-CAP (ADF) rebels killed a local councilor and four of her clients in a small restaurant in Kyabandara parish, Uganda.[154]

2024

[edit]
Further information: Operation Shujaa

May

[edit]

On 18 May, Operation Shujaa captured Commander Anywari Al Iraq (alias AA), an IED expert, hailing from Busia district in eastern Uganda. In the operation, joint forces seized an SMG, 45 rounds of ammunition, three walkie-talkies, an RPG charger, and various IED materials.[155][156]

Targeting of Seka Musa Baluku's Madina headquarters by joint Operation Shujaa forces forced its relocation around May, speculated to be deeper into Mambasa territory, Ituri province. Camps led by Commanders Mzee Mayor, Mzee Wa Kazi (alias Lumisa), and others holding dependents and hostages merged with Madina in May as well. The Madina camp also moved, being reportedly sighted north of Lolwa, along the Eringeti-Komanda road, Mambasa territory.[155]

June

[edit]

June was the deadliest month of 2024, attributed particularly to Commander Abwakasi's attacks between 3 June and 12 June, during which over 150 civilians were killed. On 3 June, the group crossed the RN44 road to attack Ngwaba village, killing 3 civilians. The group moved southwest that same day to Masau village, where they killing 18 more civilians. On 5 June, eight civilians from Kabwiki and Keme villages were killed in attacks by the group. Days later, on 7 June, the group attacked Masala and two nearby settlements. In this attack, the group set up roadblocks along main roads connecting the three settlements, posed as Wazalendo forces to gain local trust, before massacring civilians trapped between the roadblocks. 41 bodies were recovered in the aftermath, found between the villages of Masala and neighboring Mahihi and Keme.[155]

July

[edit]

On 7 July, Madina camp resupplier, Toyo Adallah, surrendered to Ugandan Operation Shujaa troops on a resupply trip in Bahaha, Mambasa territory. Adallah was supposedly facing a death sentence by the ADF for having committed adultery. He was promptly taken to Uganda.[a][155]

ADF camps led by commanders Tabani, Defender, and Braida merged into one at some point in July.[155]

August

[edit]

On 11 August, the ADF attempted to detonate a drone-born IED attack on a FARDC position in Malyajama, 30 km northwest of Beni. The device failed to detonate and was recuperated by security forces.[155]

High-profile Commander Braida (alias Mzee Pasta, Twaburani) was accidentally shot by men in his group and later died, on 14 August, alongside one of his two wives. He reportedly died near Biakato, Ituri province while he, his group, and other dependents were travelling towards Baluku's Madina camp. His dependents continued to Madina on Baluku's orders. Another high-profile Commander, Amigo, died days after Braida, reportedly from a fatal head injury inflicted by an explosive launched by Operation Shujaa forces while bringing a group of Braida's family and dependents which had split up prior to Braida's death. One of Braida's wives, which Amigo had abducted years prior, estimated Amigo to be over 50 years old and confirmed his death. The two groups would then merge, but were again attacked by Operation Shujaa forces, which scattered the group, allowing some dependents, including several of Braida's wives, to escape. The status of others within the group remain unknown.[155][157]

Abwakasi's group, considered "the most active and deadly ADF cell" by a group of United Nations (UN) experts, was seen operating near Manguredjipa, northern Lubero territory in August. Operation Shujaa troops were in pursuit, with the group slowed by clashes with local militias.[155]

September

[edit]

On 28 September, joint Operation Shujaa forces forces announced having neutralized more than 50 ADF rebels in Beni, Mambasa, and Lubero territories.[158]

December

[edit]

The night between 21 and 22 December, 18 civilians were killed in the village of Robinet in the Bapere Sector, with ADF rebels looting and burning down homes. On 25 December, 3 bodies were found 4 kilometers from Makele, likely killed by the same ADF attackers.[159][160][161]

Before the last week of 2024, Ugandan Minister of Security, RTD[b] Major General Jim Muhwezi, assured Ugandan civilians that the government was equipped to deal with any ADF threats.[162] More than 50 people were killed between 22 December and 31 December's festivities, particularly in attacks on villages in the Babika and Baredje groups, Bapere sector and in the Manzia and Mwenye groups in the Baswagha chiefdom. Bapere civil society President, Samuel Kagheni, reported that ADF rebels burned homes in most attacks, contributing to why many residents were forced to move to Manguredjipa and Nziapanda, where FARDC-UPDF joint forces were present. Local sources witnessed ADF fighters splitting into smaller groups to circumvent military positions, come in from the Bandulu region, and return back into the Beni territory.[163]

Between the night of 29 and 30 December, rebels killed seven people in the town of Matombo. The following night, between 30 and 31 December, the same rebels attacked the town of Kekelibo and a different group of ADF rebels, armed with knives and light arms, attacked the village of Kily in the Bulengya group, killing 8 civilians, and the village of Mongoya in the Manzya group, killing 4 civilians, all of whom were women.[164][165] Two ADF rebels were caught by locals who handed them over the Nziapanda's security services.[165] On 31 December, Chief of Bapakombe Bakondo village, Mwami Atsu Taibo, reported that ADF rebels attacked the FARDC's Mikua position but were repelled and pursued.[166]

Retrospectives on 2024

[edit]

Retrospectives on the year of 2024 noted a relative calm in the ADF insurrection in comparison to previous years. Operations Shujaa's "relative" success was primarily attributed to the killing of numerous high-profile Commanders.[155][157] However, FARDC-UPDF joint forces' attacks pushed ADF militants into areas without security presence, still causing many killings of civilians.[155][167][168]

Total killings and local Beni-based sources
[edit]

A report released on 1 February, 2025 by the Human Rights Research Convention (CRDH) NGO estimated that 1,322 people died and 103 were still missing due to ADF attacks in 2024.[169] Members from the Research Initiatives for Social Development (RISD) and Forum de Paix (FP) NGOs, and published by Peace Direct (PD), published their annual report for localized conflicts in the DRC, particularly in Beni, where it found that at least 300 security violations and human rights abuses had occurred in 2024.[167][168] It stated that "the ADF is one of the most active armed groups in eastern DRC" and concluded that:

The ADF remain a real and imminent threat, both locally for the people of Beni, as well as nationally and even internationally. Continuously instrumentalised for economic and ideological reasons, they wage guerrilla warfare and sow terror for material or hidden, immaterial interests. They base their survival on their own isolated informal networks, on the media coverage of their methods of action (repertoires of action), and above all on the Congolese security services’ ineffectiveness in ensuring territorial control and internal administrative networking. These armed conflicts perpetrated by the ADF contribute to the creation and/or implantation (conflicts with transversal consequences within society) of other conflicts of a similar nature, i.e. identity-based ones.[168]

UN Group of Experts report
[edit]

A UN report from the Group of Experts, released 27 December, revealed critical information about details on ADF operations. It found that Operation Shujaa found "relative" success, with most attacks carried our along the RN4 road. Furthermore, later attacks destroyed strongholds, depleted combatants and leaders, and released hundreds of hostages.[155]

The deaths of ADF commanders Braida (alias Mzee Pasta) and Amiga were confirmed. Braida's 14 August death was confirmed by eight former hostages and his two former wives.[155][157]

The arrest of ADF operatives Yakut Musana and Abdul Rashid Kyoto (alias Njovu) was provided to the Group in a 1 November communication from the Ugandan government. The Group, however, could not confirm Uganda's claim to have "put out of action" notable ADF rebels including Muraaro Segujja, Feza, Musa Kamusi, Boaz, Rubangakene, Abu Yassin, Bagdad, Fazul, and Mzee Mubindio in the same communication. Furthermore, the government's claim to have killed high-profile ADF Commanders Meddie Nkalubo (alias Punisher)[c] and Mulalo was disproven as they were found active in ADF activities in 2024; the government confirmed this truth in the same communication.[155]

Intensified attacks on the ADF, however, have forced the group to move to more remote locations and in smaller groups. This movement increased attacks on civilians, revenge killings, kidnapping, looting, and attacks on medical personnel and humanitarian volunteers. The Group concludes that this is caused by Operation Shujaa operations pushing ADF rebels into areas that have no security presence, particularly in Ituri and North Kivu.[155] Technology is becoming increasingly pervasive in ADF arsenals. Detained ADF collaborators, combatants, and former hostages confirmed that drones were used in most camps for surveillance and scouting.[d][155][170]

According to the Group, between 1 June and 5 November, 124 ADF attacks resulted in a documented 650 civilian deaths. June was the deadliest month with over 200 deaths reported in Beni, Lubero, and southern Ituri territories. Attacks in the Cantine locality and Manguredjipa suffered the most attack, causing heavy civilian displacement.[155] Notable ADF factions of Commanders Tabani, Defender, and Braida were the most active, particularly in villages around Mamove, Biakato, and Beu Manyama.[155][168]

It was believed that the Alliance Fleuve Congo-M23 (AFC-M23) coalition attempted to establish an alliance with the ADF, with talks beginning in February 2024.[155][171]

Military claims, independent associations' reports, and other comments
[edit]

Territorial administrator of the Lubero Territory, Colonel Alain Kikewa, said on 3 January, 2025 that FARDC forces were instrumental in maintaining control and calm in the core of Lubero but expressed regret over individuals displaced or in distress due to conflict in the region.[172]

The Taximen en Danger association reported the same day that 31 motorcycle taxi drivers were killed and 48 motorcycles were burned or stolen by both ADF rebels and nonidentifiable attackers throughout 2024. Coordinator Jérôme Malule lamented the deaths and losses of taxi drivers, claimed armed groups use barriers to levy hefty taxes, noted the importance of drivers in the local economy, and called for justice where no public hearing against attackers has been held.[173] The CRDH reflected on Operation Shujaa on the same day. It noted a relative peace in the Irumu territory, particularly in the Banyali and Bahema Mitego chiefdoms, underscored the existence of the group's stronghold in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, found movements towards the Mambasa territory, and praised the release of several hostages. CRDH coordinator for Ituri, Christophe Muyanderu, found that many operations were, however, "poorly planned," forcing rebels into unsecured areas where populations remained vulnerable, noting the group's movement into the Mambasa territory.[174]

On 4 January 2025, President of the Beni civil society, Pepin Kavota, welcomed the peace during end-of-year celebrations in and around Beni and congratulated the urban security committee. He echoed the sentiment regarding the peace in the region throughout the year of 2024 altogether. Beni urban police spokesperson thanked MONUSCO for their donations of jeeps, fuel, and food.[175]

2025

[edit]
Further information: Operation Shujaa

January

[edit]

Fighting along the Butembo-Mengurejipa road before the new year caused displacement in the Bapere region of the Lubero Territory, whose civil society president, Samuel Kagheni, reportedly forced most individuals from the towns of Byambwe, Nziapanda, and Itenda to flee their homes at the beginning of the year.[164]

Unlike 2024, January indicated a resurgence in ADF activities, particularly in the Beni and Lubero territories. On January 4, four bodies were found in a forest near Bwanasura village, with eight more found near Otmaber village in the Bandavilemba group on 5 January. Most of those killed were war veterans, with ADF rebels suspected to have killed them.[176][177] According to Radio Okapi, the bodies were "already in an advanced state of decomposition" and were buried.[176] On the night of 5 January, ADF rebels attacked the village of Loselose in Beni territory, killing at least five civilians, with many others missing.[178][179]

Visits to the region by military and political officials like MP Emil Saidi Balikwisha and UPDF Head, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, between 7 and 9 January called for increased military presence in the Beni and Lubero territories.[180][181] On 10 January, Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC for the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Bruno Lemarquis, showed a "deep dismay" for the over 100,000 displaced since 1 January due to M23 clashes with the FARDC and attacks from the ADF, particularly condemning violence against civilians and humanitarian workers.[182]

On 11 January, three farmers were killed and 12 others kidnapped in the farmlands around the Bapakome-Bakondo village by ADF rebels. Attackers also burned homes, with one of three killed being burned alive.[183] The chief of the village pleaded for increased security presence the following day.[184] Witnesses reported seeing ADF rebels occupying farmlands in Kipeyayo, Mawangose, and part of Lahe the afternoon of 11 January.[183]

On 15 January, ADF rebels perpetrated a large massacre in Muhangi, killing 32 civilians with machetes. Several were injured and many went missing during the attack in Makoko, Masakoti, and Mambangu. Residents west of the Bulengya group reportedly gathered belongings and sought refuge in Vusamba, Musienene, Musimba, Kyambogho, Kimbulu, and the town of Butembo.[185][186][187][188] Requests from Kinshasa and Kampala influenced UPDF forces to move from Butembo to Lubero to respond to the increased ADF activity and 15 January attack, the increased presence, in turn, being said to have secured the region.[189] Nevertheless, on 18 and 19 January, ADF rebels reportedly attacked villages in central Lubero, injuring civilians and inflicting material damage.[190] On the night of 20 January, Municipal President of Ruwenzori commune in the city of Beni, Clarisse Kavuho Kyamuthika, reported than in the previous 10 days, attacks from ADF rebels near Mikuha left three dead.[191]

National MP Arsène Mwaka echoed calls from Balikwisha, Kainerugaba, and Kyamuthika on 21 January, commenting that joint forces should increase their presence from the south back to the north of Lubero territory, referencing the recent attacks and dissapearances.[192] Lemarquis reported on 22 January that over 200,000 displaced individuals had been displaced in the northern territories of North Kivu due to these attacks since June 2024.[193] He and local sources believe that increased focus on M23 left security vacuums benefitting ADF rebels.[193][194][195] Rwanda would defend the actions of the M23 Movement by accusing the DRC of ignoring the actions of ADF militants at the UN Security Council's (UNSC) 9842rd meeting on 22 January.[196][197]

ADF rebels were reportedly seen moving near the Batangi-Mbau axis, 25 kilometers north of Beni.[194] On 24 January, local sources from the Bambuba-Kisiki group, Beni territory, reported than in January, 16 people were killed in attacks by ADF rebels, often burning homes in their assaults.[198] On 27 January, ADF rebels executed two tandem attacks along the National Road 4 in the Walesse Vonkutu chiefdom. The first was in the forest near Mambelenga, where nine were killed and one was injured. The second was along the Mungamba-Ndimo axis, where three motocyclists were attacked, one being killed and the other two injured. Rebels set the motorcycles and cargo on fire.[199] On 27 January, ADF rebels kidnapped four individuals from the village of Manjamba, Lubero territory.[190]

The DRC's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Thérèse Kayikwamba Wagner, reported that over 500,000 individuals had been displaced in North and South Kivu in January alone at the UN Security Council's meeting on 28 January.[200][201]

On 30 January, ADF rebels attacked the towns of Katwakasoya, Mataha, and Ndalya in southern Irumu territory, where ten, four, and one person was killed respectively. However, fleeing and missing residents made death tolls inconclusive.[202] The ADF ended the month with an attack on Lumba, located 35 km northwest of Butembo, killing 12 civilians in multiple attacks throughout the day of 31 January. Several went missing and searches for bodies were dispatched.[203]

On 31 January, Uganda's Defense Forces announced the that it would adopt a forward defensive posture in the DRC, particularly in the Lubero territory where it would join the few present FARDC positions focused on ADF rebels.[204][205][206] On 12 February, the Human Rights Research Convention (CRDH) NGO reported that since 6 January, ADF rebels also carried out attacks along National Road 4 and 10 km west of thereof, in the villages of Israël, Kazaroho, Kimautu, Mongee, Kasoko, Apakou, and Apakola. Local witnesses and politicians reported that many people were killed and abducted, but could not yet be recovered due to ADF presence.[207]

February

[edit]

The beginning of February began with a spree of massacres. According to the CRDH, between 1 February and 4 February, over 100 civilians were killed in southern Irumu, Ituri province. These massacres concluded with multiple attacks on 4 February, where ADF rebels emerged from nearby forests in small groups and fired indiscriminately to create panic in southern Irumu and neighboring towns of Kangatiro, Butumai, and Lulueba in central Idohu. In Irumu, 9 civilians were found dead in fields, killed with knives. In another town nearby, ADF rebels killed 10 people, burned multiple homes, and looted buildings.[208]

The same day, on 4 February, Uganda deployed over 1,000 additional UPDF troops, bringing its total to around 5,000 total, following its 31 January statement.[209][210] Around 40 vehicles carrying these troops were seen crossing the border into the DRC by local sources. The UPDF announced this deployment on 5 February. A meeting between FARDC and UPDF military officers deployed in both Ituri and North Kivu provinces was scheduled for 12 February in Boga.[211] Around this time, three fatal incidents between Mayi-Safi and Mama-Neema were recorded, where IEDs detonated along roads. Local sources believe they were planted by the ADF.[212] On 7 February, ADF rebels raided various Christian villages and killed residents in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces [213] On 10 February, three civilians were killed in the Luna-Samboko village in Ituri, directly on the border with Beni, North Kivu.[207]

ADF militants perpetrated the Kasanga Massacre on 12 February, where rebels entered the village of Mayuba in Lubero Territory, North Kivu and abducted at least 70 Christian civilians. The captives were subsequently taken to a Protestant church in the nearby village of Kasanga, North Kivu, where they were beheaded using machetes. The bodies were discovered on 15 February.[214][215] The FARDC reinsured populations in Ituri to continue about their daily business on 17 February, referencing the early February arrival of additional Ugandan troops. The UPDF and FARDC would begin discussions in the Bunia about pooling resources in this southern part of the province.[216] Local residents, however, remained skeptical about motivations considering the precarious situation between the DRC and Rwanda, which was discussed at the UNSC's 9863rd Meeting following M23 massacres in Bukavu, North Kivu.[211][217][218] This was also born from a Twitter post published that day by Ugandan President Museveni's son, Lieutenant General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, threatening to attack and take control of the city of Bunia, Ituri province if "all forces" there did not lay down their arms. Kainerugaba's desire was speculated to be linked to his 11 February post claiming that the Bahema ethnic group was being killed. Furthermore, Kainerugaba has expressed an outspoken support for Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, who himself has claimed no link between the M23 and Rwanda, and called M23 fighters "brothers of ours" regarding rights for Congolese Tutsis.[219]

On 18 February, along the 72-kilometer Eringeti-Kainama road, in the Lese farmlands, a farmer stepped on an IED, causing injuries which he succumbed to in the Beni General Hospital. Local sources believed the explosive was placed by ADF troops, considering militants had been seen crossing this road and others nearby.[212]

On 21 February, Ugandan President Museveni publicly commented that the UPDF's deployment in the DRC, as Ugandan troops were present in Bunia, was solely to fight the ADF, and not to combat M23 rebels.[220]

March

[edit]

On 22 March, it was reported that Ugandan intelligence indicated an alliance pact between the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) Lendu militant rebels and the ADF.[221][222] This was a notably surprising event considering the ADF have historically not worked with another other groups, other rebels included.[222]

Between 31 March and 1 April, war criminal, Thomas Lubanga, native of the Ituri province, announced that a new political and militant rebel group had formed in Ituri, called the Convention for the Popular Revolution (CPL).[223][224][225][226] Lubanga was convicted of recruiting child soldiers, an internationally recognized war crime[e] by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2012, but was released and appointment as an peacemaking task force emissary in Ituri by Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi in 2020.[224][226][227] In 2022, he was captured by a rebel group for approximately 2 months, after which he sought refuge in Kampala, Uganda.[224] Lubanga reported that armed militants were present in three areas of the province. The number of fighters Lubanga controlled was unclear.[224][228] It is believed that this development could bring further instability in the region as FARDC, UPDF, and Joint Operation Shujaa forces deal with unrelenting ADF attacks and major M23 advances.[223][225][229] Furthermore, former Ugandan funding for Lubanga's Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) during the UPC's military interventions in the Second Congo War could complicate their involvement in the region.[226][230] The CPL launched its first offensives in the early weeks of August 2025, during which 18 people were caught between heavy gunfire and killed.[229]

June

[edit]

On 4 June, two people, including a suicide bomber, are killed near a Roman Catholic shrine in Kampala, Uganda, on Uganda Martyrs' Day. Police attribute the bombing to Allied Democratic Forces rebels.[186]

July

[edit]

Joint Operation Shujaa forces reportedly began launching precision strikes and heavy artillery shells at the infamous Madina camp on the morning of 6 July.[231][232] On 10 July, the UPDF claimed to have captured the ADF's primary camp, located in Apakwang, Ituri province at the time.[232][233][234] It was believed to have hosted between 1,000 and 1,500 fighters and dependents, which had consolidated six other camps into its structure in 2024.[155][232][233] Col. Chris Magezi, assistant to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said that joint forces were in pursuit of fleeing ADF rebels, which moved westwards.[235] Although the attack was said to be a landmark achievement in Operation Shujaa, ADF rebels mostly managed to escape. No casualty or capture numbers were published. Joint forces' pursuit also aimed to search for hostages and better understand the ADF's logistical systems, physical and not.[232] The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) NGO's August report believed that the success of this operation could be attributed to the increased UPDF troop deployments. The same report found that the most active ADF cell in 2025 was under the Commander Ahmad Mahmood Hassan (alias Abwakasi).[233]

The ADF perpetrated the Komanda massacre on 27 July, when rebels arriving from Mount Hoyo, likely led by Commander Seka Umaru, killed 43 civilians in the Saint Anuarite Catholic church.[233]

August

[edit]

Three people are killed in Idohu on 2 August. Around 7 p.m. local time, rebels armed with light arms and machetes fired in all directions in the village. Rebels were seen breaking down doors and raiding homes during the attack. The FARDC responded to notifications from local residents and a clash with rebels and the armed forces ensued. Bodies were recovered in the Walesse Vonkutu chiefdom. Searches for more bodies continued on the nearby mountain called "Israel."[187][236]

  • 9 August – Suspected ADF rebels attacked a vehicle travelling from Butembo to Bunia about 20 kilometers north of Eringeti on the primary road connecting the two cities. Attackers set fire to the vehicle and took hostages. FARDC and UPDF joint forces deployed shortly after trying to recover hostage and ensure safety on the passage.[191] Nine hostages were recovered by joint forces the following day, 10 August, with seven hostages still held by ADF rebels.[192]
  • 15 August – At least 30 people are killed by suspected Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces rebels in Bapere, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.[237]
  • 17 August – At least nine people, including eight civilians and one police officer, are killed in Oicha, Beni by ADF rebels during the night. They were suspectedly killed with knives.[238][239]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Toyo Adallah was still being held in Uganda as late as of the publishing of the UN Group of Experts' 27 December 2024 report.[155]
  2. ^ Return-to-duty: abbreviated RTD.
  3. ^ Meddie Nkalubo (alias Punisher) was very active throughout 2024. His group was one of the ones which moved with Musa Baluku northwards into the Epulu reserve, located north of the Manbasa-Lolwa-Komanda axis, which the Government of Uganda also confirmed. According to former hostages and combatants, he was killed around April-May 2024, in accordance with his activity dying out. However, sources near the Allied Democratic Forces claimed he was severely wounded but still living.[155]
  4. ^ Drones were found in Baluku, Tabani, Braida, Abwakasi, and Defender camps, with Baluku and Braida having at least four each. Eight of these drones were supplied from Kampala routes, with help from ISIL.[155]
  5. ^ As set out by the International Criminal Court's Rome Statute, (Article 8, section a, subsection xxvi) stating that "conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into the national armed forces or using them to participate actively in hostilities" is a war crime.

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Works cited

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