Militants kill 22 in eastern Congo

SANAA, Dec. 16 (YPA) – Suspected Islamist militants killed at least 22 people last night in eastern of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), authorities said on Monday.

The attack comes at a time when these rebels have stepped up operations against civilians despite the government’s claim to make progress at their expense.

Researchers say similar attacks have claimed at least 179 civilians since an October 30 attack by the Congolese army on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is an Ugandan Islamist group operating in eastern Congo.

In a speech on Friday, President Felix Tshisekedi said that the campaign “dismantled almost all allied Democratic Forces strongholds and that the rebels were turning into guerrilla operations after their despair.

According to Reuters, however, the government blamed the Allied Democratic Forces for similar attacks dating back years, including dozens of night-time massacres since 2014 that have claimed hundreds of civilian lives.

E.M