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.
| 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 | 200+ |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State - Central Africa Province |
Background
editThe 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
editOn 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
edit- 1 2 3 "The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamic State Affiliate in the Democratic Republic of Congo". Congressional Research Service. September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 18, 2024.
- 1 2 "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.
- 1 2 "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.
- 1 2 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.