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DRCONGO-UNREST
Two killed in eastern DR Congo ‘militant attack’
BENI, DR Congo, Nov 27, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Two people have been killed in an
attack by the militant ADF group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a
local official said Monday, on the eve of a peace march against the violence.
The killings happened on the Mbau-Kamango road, north of Beni city, said
area administrator Donat Kibwana.
“Both bodies are at Oicha’s morgue,” he added, blaming the attack on the
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a shadowy armed group rooted in Ugandan
Islamism that has killed hundreds of people since 2014.
A military spokesperson said the Congolese army was fighting against the
ADF in the Ebola-plagued region of Beni where the disease has left more than
200 dead.
“The ADF has attempted to raid the outskirts of Oicha (north of Beni). We
are pushing them back,” said Captain Mak Hazukay.
The government has often blamed the group for killings, robberies and
kidnappings, but sometimes it is unclear who the true assailants are.
Often described as Islamist, analysts say the ADF’s motivations for attacks
can vary in a region where poverty and instability are endemic.
On Tuesday, civil society organisations in Beni plan to hold a
demonstration against the violence plaguing the region.
The protest comes as DR Congo prepares to elect a new president on December
23 as the country aims to turn the page on Joseph Kabila’s nearly 18 years in
power.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1435 hrs