DRC: the ADF accused of killing at least 114 civilians in July
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are accused of killing at least 114 civilians in July 2026 in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to a report from the Security Barometer of Kivu published on August 18 by the Congolese institute Ebuteli. Nearly half of the recorded killings during the month are attributed to them.
SUMMARY
The Barometer documented 247 security incidents in Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu, its lowest level since monitoring resumed in October 2025. This decrease in confrontations has not improved the protection of residents: 203 abductions were recorded, a record increase of 41% over one month.
In the Mambasa territory alone, in Ituri, Ebuteli attributes the deaths of at least 49 civilians to the ADF. The report mentions attacks in Makumo, Mununzei, and Njiapanda on July 21 and 22, as well as in Kalunga, in the territory of Beni, on July 15 and at the Mungu Iko mining site on July 31.
According to Ebuteli, no offensive targeting the ADF has been launched since the reconfiguration of the command of the joint Shujaa operation led by the Congolese and Ugandan armies in June. The institute therefore argues that the killings of civilians can no longer be explained solely as reprisals to immediate military pressure.
Still Preliminary Local Reports
Radio Okapi, a media outlet supported by the United Nations, confirmed several attacks in the Mambasa territory. On July 23, the radio reported at least 16 deaths in Mandeite and Njiapanda, noting that the toll remained provisional and that access to the area was difficult due to the presence of assailants.
Tallies published just after certain attacks have varied according to local sources. Ebuteli’s monthly total relies on a collection and triangulation effort conducted by a network of focal points, but it must be presented as a documented assessment by the institute, not as a definitive judicial figure.
In May 2026, Amnesty International had already documented a campaign of attacks against civilians attributed to the ADF, including homicides, abductions, forced labor, and sexual violence. The organization believes that some of these acts could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ADF is an armed group of Ugandan origin linked to the Islamic State organization. The armies of the DRC and Uganda have been conducting the Shujaa operation against them since November 2021, mainly in the territories of Beni, Irumu, and Mambasa.
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