The Beni region of North Kivu has once again been the scene of a deadly attack attributed to ADF rebels. On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, the small town of Oïcha was the starting point of tragic violence that caused the death of at least nine civilians, including women and a child. The assailants, armed and determined, sowed terror by attacking the inhabitants indiscriminately.
Testimonies from the inhabitants of Bakila-Tenambo, the district targeted by the attack, describe a chaotic and appalling situation. The screams of the victims, mixed with the noise of gunfire and fires, created a climate of fear and desolation in the community. The looted and burned houses left families distraught, forced to flee to other safer places to escape the danger.
Faced with this escalation of violence, the army has taken matters into its own hands to try to secure the region and track down the rebels responsible for these atrocities. Colonel Mak Hazukayi, spokesman for the armed forces, called on the population to be vigilant and to collaborate with the authorities to prevent further attacks. The release of two hostages thanks to the military intervention brings some hope in this dark and uncertain climate.
These tragic events underline once again the urgency of finding lasting solutions to end the insecurity that continues to plague this region of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Civilians, already tested by years of conflict and violence, deserve peace and the protection of their fundamental rights. It is essential that local and international authorities redouble their efforts to guarantee the security of the populations and prosecute those responsible for these criminal acts.