At least 50 civilians were killed during an attack at a funeral in the village of Ntoyo in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Monday night, local officials said.
Macaire Sivikunula, a local administrator, said the victims were ambushed during a mourning ceremony at about 9 p.m. "I can confirm a provisional death toll of 50. The victims were caught off guard at a mourning ceremony in the village of Ntoyo, and most of them were killed with machetes," he said. Colonel Alain Kiwewa, the military administrator for Lubero, told Reuters the toll was around 60 and could rise as there were still people missing. He said searches and recovery operations were continuing.
Local and international officials attributed the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 and now operates under the Islamic State Central Africa Province banner. The ADF has escalated a campaign of killings in eastern Congo in recent years, frequently using knives and machetes as well as firearms, and has been linked to multiple mass-casualty incidents this year.
The ADF carried out a widely condemned attack in July that killed dozens of people attending a youth retreat at a Catholic church in Komanda, North Kivu, including children. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned ADF attacks as violations of international law and called for accountability, while humanitarian agencies warn that ongoing violence is deepening an already dire displacement and protection crisis in eastern DRC.
Congolese and regional forces, including units operating with support from Uganda, have mounted repeated operations against the ADF, but the group continues to mount deadly raids across the region. Analysts and officials say the ADF finances its operations through illicit activities and sustains a propaganda presence that aids recruitment and regional reach.
The attack in Ntoyo is the latest in a wider pattern of Islamic State-linked activity across parts of Africa, where groups in the Sahel and in central and west Africa have expanded their presence amid weak governance, economic hardship and local grievances. In 2015, Nigeria's Boko Haram faction pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and has since been responsible for mass kidnappings, suicide attacks and large-scale killings across Nigeria and into neighbouring countries.
Humanitarian agencies say thousands of civilians in eastern DRC have been displaced by recurrent attacks and are in urgent need of shelter, food and protection. The security situation in parts of North Kivu remains volatile, complicating the delivery of aid and the ability of authorities to investigate attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
Officials in Lubero said they would continue search operations and provide assistance to survivors and families of the victims. The DRC government and international partners have not yet issued a joint statement on the Ntoyo attack; the United Nations and regional diplomatic missions often issue condemnations following such incidents and call for strengthened protection measures.
Investigations into the Monday night attack were ongoing, and local authorities cautioned that official casualty figures could change as recovery efforts continue and more information becomes available.