(Adnkronos) – According to local sources from Aid to the Church in Need (Acs), over 70 bodies have been found in a Protestant church in Maiba, near Lubero, in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. The murders took place between 12 and 15 February at the hands of rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (Adf), an Islamist terrorist group, originally from Uganda, who entered the village and took about 100 people hostage. “Many of them had been tied up and some beheaded. Among the victims were women, children and the elderly,” said the source, whose identity is being withheld for security reasons.
Regarding the motive for the massacre and the group’s modus operandi, the source added: “It is likely that these victims were unable to resist or endure the forced march, because when the rebels take hostages they make them travel with them, both as reinforcements for their group and as forced laborers in support of the war effort. When there is loot, they need people to carry it. If you get tired along the way, you’re done. I think that’s what happened to these 70 people. Islamic groups – continued the source – have stepped up their attacks and raids on remote villages, killing thousands of Congolese civilians. They used to be in other areas, but now it is Lubero that is under attack. It is believed that the terrorists have local collaborators who facilitate their operations, and that is what is really scary.”
This massacre, Acs points out, comes at a very delicate time for the region, given the worsening humanitarian situation in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, which have seen heavy fighting between another armed group, the M23, backed by neighboring Rwanda, and the Congolese armed forces. The M23 has captured major towns and outposts in the region, such as Goma and Bukavu, and heavy fighting since December 24, according to UNHCR figures, has forced half a million Congolese civilians in North Kivu to flee their homes.
In addition to concern about Adf activities, the local Acs source expressed fear that in the coming days the M23 could capture Butembo, the second largest city in North Kivu, as it did with Goma, the provincial capital, and Bukavu, capital of South Kivu. “We expect the rebels to enter the city any moment, as they are only 70 km from here. There is a lot of psychological suffering in Butembo, because the war is literally on our doorstep. We have seen how other regions have been overwhelmed by chaos, and now it seems to be our turn.”
