The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the village of Bukokoma in North Kivu this Thursday, June 8, 2023, killing at least 12 civilians, wounding three others and abducting several people in the process. The inability of the Congolese security forces to intervene provoked outrage from civil society. However, according to the military authorities, the Congolese troops had abandoned their positions to equip themselves with new uniforms, which explains their absence during the attack. The administrator of the territory of Beni, meanwhile, took the floor to reassure civilians, saying that the security forces had taken measures to ensure their safety.
This incursion is unfortunately not an isolated case in the region. The ADF intensified their attacks on civilians, despite army efforts to stop them. This risks undermining the population’s confidence in the authorities’ ability to guarantee the safety of civilians. For some time, tensions have increased in this region of the DRC, notably with the kidnapping of more than 100 people in April.
It is essential that the Congolese government put in place an effective strategy to fight the ADF. It is imperative that the security forces be better equipped, better trained and more determined to protect civilians. The attacks must stop and those responsible for these horrors must be brought to justice. Until stability is restored, the DRC will struggle to make progress on the path to peace and development