Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – In a new attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) jihadists in North Kivu province, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, at least five people have been killed. The attack occurred around 5:00 p.m. on January 13 in the village of Mausa, in the Lukono area, controlled by the Mwenye group, whose capital is Baswagha, in the Lubero territory.
According to civil society sources, in addition to killing at least five residents, the attackers set fire to several houses and the Kimbanguist church in Mausa, leaving the village partially devastated. Furthermore, several villagers are still missing. Mausa had not been attacked for over a year. The local population denounces the ineffectiveness of the protection offered by the Congolese armed forces, who reportedly failed to respond to the alarm they raised before the attack on the village. The Wazalendo, self-defense militias, are also increasingly criticized, as they failed to prevent the attack and are perceived by the population more as a burden than as effective protection against incursions by the numerous armed groups active in the province.
A significant portion of North Kivu, including its capital, Goma, is controlled by the M23, the Rwandan-backed guerrilla group that, since the beginning of last year, has launched an offensive that has allowed it to seize large areas in both North and South Kivu. The ADF, for its part, is a Ugandan-origin group that has been based in North Kivu for decades. Over the years, it has undergone several transformations (see Fides, 24/6/2023), eventually becoming an affiliate of the Islamic State, claiming membership in the so-called Islamic State Province in Congo (ISCAP). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 15/1/2026)
