Increase in rebel attacks triggers deadly protests in Democratic Republic of Congo

At least seven people have been killed in unrest in North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local officials said on Saturday, after people took to the streets to protest against a rise in deadly attacks by suspected Islamist rebels.

The Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group affiliated with the Islamic State, are said to have killed more than 40 people in an attack on the village of Mayikengo this week, and more than 80 in attacks on other villages in the Eastern Province the week before.

The insecurity has fuelled frustration among the population and led to the killing of two soldiers and their driver in the Lubero area when a crowd set fire to their vehicle on Friday evening, local official Julio Mabanga told Reuters.

On Saturday, three more people were killed in further clashes between security forces and residents in the area: a civilian, a soldier and an agent of the national intelligence service ANR, Mabanga said.

Similar protests took place in the city of Butembo on Saturday, with hundreds of youths taking to the streets, brandishing sticks and chanting and singing to denounce widespread insecurity, a Reuters reporter said.

“I am standing here at this roundabout and blocking the road. Our condolences go out to our compatriots who were killed,” said Daniel Sivanzire Paluku, one of the protesters. He said they had to block the roads to control who was coming and going.

Butembo Mayor Mowa Baeki Telly confirmed that a civilian was killed in clashes between security forces and protesters in the city.

The ADF originally come from neighboring Uganda, but are now stationed in the resource-rich eastern Congo. They have sworn allegiance to the terrorist militia “Islamic State” and regularly carry out attacks. In doing so, they contribute to the further destabilization of a region in which many militant groups compete for influence and resources.

It was not possible to reach the ADF for comment on the attacks.

The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks militant websites, said on Friday that Islamic State had released communiqués from its so-called Central Africa Province division claiming responsibility for killing 51 people in attacks in North Kivu this week. The group also claimed to have beheaded more than 60 people in a single attack in the province on June 7.