Dozens and dozens of people were killed in a few days in the Baswagha-Madiwe area, in the territory of Beni, in the province of Ituri, in the east of the DRC, due to extremely violent attacks by the ADF, an armed Islamist group of Ugandan origin.
The news is scarce and fragmentary, according to some sources the deaths were over 100 in total, others speak of 50 or 80, but the safest data is that in the attack yesterday morning alone, 8 June, the people killed in the village of Masala , there are at least 38. This center was the scene of a massacre of rare cruelty by the ADF and, according to some, the toll could prove much heavier, as access to the area remains difficult and the search for victims continues.
Heartbreaking testimonies tell of the ferocity of the attackers. Armed with machetes and firearms, they spread terror among the inhabitants, killing men, women and children indiscriminately. Some victims were killed in cold blood, while others were brutally burned alive in their homes.
The material balance is also frightening. Over 80% of the village’s homes were burned by the rebels, reducing Masala to a pile of ash and smoking ruins. Entire families have been wiped out, leaving behind traumatized and homeless survivors.
Unfortunately, the Masala attack is just another example of the indiscriminate violence that has been affecting the North Kivu region for years. Only since last June 4, the ADF have attacked the entire area located on the border between the territories of Beni, Lubero (North Kivu) and Mambasa (Ituri), which in addition to the massacres has caused a massive influx of displaced people towards apparently safe locations, in particular Mangina, Beni and Butembo. Several nearby villages in the area, although not yet affected, are also being emptied of their inhabitants.
The ADF, an armed group known for its atrocities, is responsible for numerous massacres and abuses against the civilian population; it is one of the most violent in the area, responsible for a clear worsening of security in the region. The FARDC (the Congolese armed forces), often poorly equipped and poorly trained, appear powerless in the face of the growing power of the militias.
