AFRICA/DR CONGO - New attacks of the Muslim Defense International (MDI) in North Kivu

Monday, 13 July 2015

Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) - A total of 16 deaths, of whom 8 terrorists killed by the army, 3 civilians killed by the assailants and 5 soldiers killed in battle. This is the toll of an attack of the jihadists of the Muslim Defense International (MDI), the new name of the group of Ugandan origin ADF-NALU, against a Congolese army position in May-Moya, in North Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The jihadists burned a dozen homes, ransacked the pharmacy and shops and kidnapped 14 civilians, 11 of whom subsequently released.
The latter claim that most of their captors spoke in Swahili (language spoken in Uganda), Kinyarwanda (Rwandan language) and Arabic (during prayers).
According to a report in a statement sent to Agenzia Fides by the Coordination of the local civil society, the attack took place on June 26.
Later on July 9, the MDI attacked another army post on the main road Mbau-Kamango, in Virunga National Park. Nine Congolese soldiers and two civilians died in the attack.
The MDI was responsible already under the name ADF-NALU of numerous crimes in this area of the Democratic Republic of Congo. For this reason, the Center for Peace, Democracy and Human Rights (CEPADHO) in North Kivu has asked for the extradition of Jamili Mukulu to the DRC and not Uganda, as announced by the Tanzanian authorities. Jamili Mukulu is one of the leaders of the terrorist organization, arrested in Tanzania in April. The crimes attributed to him (massacres, murders, rapes, kidnappings, recruitment of child soldiers) were in fact committed on Congolese territory, says a statement sent to Agenzia Fides. Recently, the Provincial Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Bukavu had denounced the jihadist threat that looms over the region (see Fides 26/05/2015). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/07/2015)


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