Musandaba massacre
| Musandaba massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Allied Democratic Forces insurgency of the Kivu conflict | |
| Location | Musandaba, Beni Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Date | April 7, 2023 |
| Target | Christians |
| Deaths | 26 |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State - Central Africa Province |
On April 7, 2023, jihadists from the Islamic State – Central Africa Province (ISCAP), also known as the Allied Democratic Forces, attacked the village of Musandaba, Beni Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 26 people.
Background
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) was founded in Uganda in the 1990s, gaining prominence as an Islamist rebel group and conducting deadly attacks on civilians in the early 2010s.[1] The group pledged bay'ah to the Islamic State in 2019 and began carrying out its first attacks under the ISCAP moniker months later.[1] Beginning in 2021, the ADF carried out dozens of deadly massacres against villages in North Kivu, attacking villagers along ethnic and religious lines.[1] Shortly before the massacre in Musandaba, ISCAP militants killed over 30 people in the Mukondi massacre.[2]
Massacre
On the late afternoon of April 7, ISCAP militants entered the town of Musandaba and attacked farmers in their fields. Many were beheaded while working.[3] The assailants used machetes to avoid alerting any nearby Congolese troops.[4][5] Nineteen bodies arrived at the Oicha General Hospital, although at least 22 were reported to be killed in the initial report.[5] On April 11, five new bodies were discovered, bringing the total number of killed to 25.[6] One civilian was killed in Mavete.[7]
The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the massacre on April 8, claiming it was targeting "Christians."[2] The Vicar of Babwisi Parish confirmed that several of the victims were Christians.[7]
References
- ^ a b c "The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic State Affiliate in the Democratic Republic of Congo". Congressional Research Service. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- ^ a b "As ISIS affiliate expands in central Africa, escapees recount horrors". The Washington Post. 2023-08-12. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ "RDC-Beni : une vingtaine de civils décapités par les ADF près d'Oicha". Actualite.cd (in French). 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ "Attack kills around 20 in eastern Congo; Islamic State claims responsibility". Reuters. 2023-04-09. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ a b "Islamic State Group Claims DR Congo Attack; About 20 Dead". Voice of America. 2023-04-08. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ "Beni: nouvelle découverte des corps sans vie près d'Oicha, le bilan de l'attaque de Musandaba revu à la hausse". Actualite.cd (in French). 2023-04-11. Retrieved 2025-08-16.
- ^ a b Comms (2023-04-28). "Ten Days of Terror and Death in Congo as Eighty Christians are Killed by the ADF". International Christian Concern. Retrieved 2025-08-16.