Rebel group kills dozens of civilians in Eastern DRC
More than two dozen people were slaughtered in Eastern DRC on the 31st of December 2020. It is believed that the attack was conducted by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), one of the numerous rebel groups that live and operate in Eastern DRC. This group is currently the strongest and most prolific of the groups and has recently tied itself to ISIS.
Islamic extremist groups across sub-Saharan Africa often attack farmers as they work because these people are vital to the success of the societies. They are also easy prey for criminal organisations, as farms are often in remote and rural areas that are hard to access or are far away from government and security forces.
The ADF likely is trying to instil fear in the local populace through this attack, destabilise the area further by denying food, as well as boosting their own supplies by stealing food and other items from those they killed. ADF, which has been active in the area since the 1990s, has used this type of attack on many occasions.
The weak and ineffective government in DRC has been unable to protect much of the civilian population since the Rwandan genocide pushed many militias and military groups into the vast, uninhabited forests of Eastern DRC.
Christians in this area are also often targeted by the many Islamic militant groups. Pastors are killed and their churches destroyed due to these kinds of attack.
Source: persecution.org
