By James Tasamba
KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - More than 20 civilians were killed in a suspected rebel attack in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday night, a local official said Tuesday.
The attack occurred in Beni territory in North Kivu province, where many people live in camps.
“Rebels killed more than 20 people before setting several houses on fire in Muvingi village. The ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) are suspected to have carried out the attack,” Nicolas Kikuku, the mayor of Oicha town in Beni, told Anadolu.
Noting that the death toll was provisional, Kikuku said the victims included about a dozen minors.
“Several other civilians were injured and more are still missing,” he added.
Following the attack, sporadic demonstrations broke out in Beni, paralyzing businesses as roads were barricaded, according to local media reports.
The attack came a day after suspected ADF rebels killed three civilians in the area.
In late 2021, the Congolese and Ugandan military launched joint operations to flush out the ADF – which was founded in the 1990s by several opposition movements in Uganda to topple President Yoweri Museveni’s government.
Last week, Museveni said his country's military helicopters launched an attack on a camp of the ADF rebels, located 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.