KIGALI, Rwanda

Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels killed at least 50 people in recent attacks in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, local media reported Saturday.

The killings, attributed to the ADF rebels, occurred on March 9-15 in the Muchacha and Babesua localities of Ituri province's Mambasa territory, Radio Okapi said, citing provincial civil society figures.

It said 35 civilians were killed at the Muchacha gold mine, and 15 were killed in Babesua.

The rebel group, which has been active in eastern Congo for several years, is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) militant organization.

Since 2021, Ugandan and Congolese forces have been conducting joint operations against the ADF rebels.

In addition to the recent killings, the rebels allegedly destroyed property, looted, and torched several houses.

The attacks caused the displacement of dozens of residents from their families along National Road 4, it said.

Civil society urged the Congolese government to prioritize the security and humanitarian situation in Ituri to reestablish state authority.

Earlier this week, the government strongly condemned the recent deadly attacks on mining sites in eastern Congo.

On March 13, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said it was deeply concerned by the impact of continued violence on civilians in Ituri province, adding that displacement sites were becoming increasingly overcrowded.