On January 4, 2021, jihadists from the Allied Democratic Forces[note 1] attacked the village of Mwenda, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 23 people. The massacre came several days after an attack on Tingwe that killed over 30 people.
| Mwenda massacre | |
|---|---|
| Part of Allied Democratic Forces insurgency of the Kivu conflict | |
| Location | Mwenda, Beni Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Date | January 4, 2021 7 p.m. |
| Weapons | Machetes and guns |
| Deaths | 23 |
| Injured | 10 |
| Victims | Unknown number of civilians kidnapped |
| Perpetrator |  Allied Democratic Forces |
Background
editThe Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a jihadist group based in Uganda and the DRC, established contact with the Islamic State to become the Islamic State's Central African Province (ISCAP) in 2017.[1] On December 31, 2020, ADF militants attacked civilians in Tingwe, also in Beni Territory.[2] Thirty people were killed in the attack at Tingwe.[2]
Massacre
editADF militants attacked Mwenda at 7 p.m. on January 4, and went door-to-door bludgeoning residents to death with machetes and shooting them as well.[2] Civilian homes were looted and ransacked by the jihadists, and several others were kidnapped.[2] At the same time as the attack on Mwenda, ADF fighters killed nine people in a nearby village.[3] Twenty-two people were initially killed in the massacre at Mwenda, and ten others were injured.[2][3] Of the 22 killed, ten were women.[3] The death toll rose to 23 by January 15.[4]
The Congolese Army entered Mwenda after the massacre, and the ADF fled but remained near the town.[3][4]
Aftermath
editThe massacre at Mwenda was the second in a string of ADF attacks since the start of 2021. Two days after the attack on Mwenda, thirty civilians were killed in the nearby village of Loselose.[5] On January 12, ADF jihadists ambushed Congolese forces in Mwenda, sparking a battle that left one soldier killed and three others injured. The ADF was ultimately repelled from the village.[6] Four people were killed in another attack by the ADF on January 15 in Mwenda.[7]
On January 7, UN Secretary General António Guterres condemned the massacres at Tingwe, Mwenda, and Loselose.[8]
Notes
edit- ^ Also known as the Islamic State - Central Africa Province (ISCAP).
References
edit- ^ Weiss, Caleb; O'Farrell, Ryan; Candland, Tara; Poole, Laren (June 1, 2023). "Fatal Transaction: The Funding Behind the Islamic State's Central Africa Province" (PDF). George Washington University Program on Extremism. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "RDC-Beni : une autre attaque violente des combattants ADF fait 22 morts à Mwenda". Actualite.cd (in French). 2021-01-05. Archived from the original on 2021-01-08. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ a b c d "DR Congo: At least 20 killed in raid on village – DW – 01/06/2021". dw.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-25. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ a b "RDC-Beni: une nouvelle attaque sanglante à Mwenda". Actualite.cd (in French). 2021-01-15. Archived from the original on 2021-02-26. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "RDC-Beni : découverte sinistre de 30 corps des civils tués par les combattants ADF à Loselose". Actualite.cd (in French). 2021-01-07. Archived from the original on 2021-01-07. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "BENI-ADF : un mort et des blessés dans une embuscade tendue contre une patrouille de l'armée près de Mwenda". Actualite.cd (in French). 2021-01-13. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Beni: le bilan de la récente attaque à Mwenda revu à la hausse après la découverte d'autres corps". Actualite.cd (in French). 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2024-07-03.
- ^ "Guterres 'shocked' at massacre of civilians in eastern DR Congo | UN News". news.un.org. 2021-01-07. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2024-07-03.