Islamists Commit Another Massacre In Eastern Congo

Unidentified Islamist rebels have struck the village of Mbau of the Democratic Republic of Congo, 30 kilometers from the town of Beni in the Nord-Kivu province. Beni was previously attacked in December by terrorists of the Allied Democratic Forces, who are likely to be the perpetrators of this current massacre. Since then, 40 more people have been killed around Beni since January. The victims of the latest massacre were killed Wednesday morning as they were going to work in local farm fields.

So far authorities report that twenty people, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child, were killed in the attack. Nine were reported as beheaded. Beni administrator Amisi Kalonda has blamed the Allied Democratic Forces and the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda for the attack. Earlier reports had put the death toll as low as five or ten.

The ADF had killed over 260 people over the last three months of the past year, and are believed to be allies of Al-Shabaab. Back in 2013 the DRC government accused Al-Shabaab of being active in Nord-Kivu along with the ADF. Sudan is also another of the ADF’s backers, using disenchanted Ugandan Muslims as foot soldiers to spread Sudan’s interests in keeping rival locals down. The Sudanese government has been a prolific sponsor of terror in Africa.