Link to Article: “Dozens killed in eastern DRC in latest attacks blamed on ADF“
A near three dozen people have been reported killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo this past month. A series of mass executions and armed attacks against civilians have been targeted this year, and the Allied Democratic Forces, an active militia group in the region, has been blamed for these events. The most recent victims are believed to be prisoners who escaped from the Beni prison during an ADF-launched attack in the fall. Although they have not officially claimed responsibility, the ADF is believed to be in charge of the attacks, as they have a history of violent activity in the region, killing thousands of civilians.
The DRC currently faces enough struggles as it is. The nation is the poorest in the world, is fighting a global pandemic, and is dealing with political instability and human rights violations. Violent attacks coming from militias such as the ADF the governance and stability in the region, and should not be underestimated, considering the DRC is already a fairly unstable nation as it is.
Violent militia attacks such as the ones taking place in the DRC often cause displacement and refugee issues within the country, as the threat of massacres forces civilians to flee. Thousands of Congolese have been displaced throughout the nation, leaving many with a lack of water and basic necessities.
Opposition to the Congolese government will further weaken the stability within the state, pushing the nation further back from growth and development. The rise of militia groups such s the ADF is often due to a weak central government, giving rebels an opportunity to gain control in regions of the country.
This issue is best viewed at the domestic and regional levels. On the domestic level, the rise of ADF attacks on citizens is largely due to previous political conflicts and instability in the governmental structure of the country. Expanding to the regional level, the conflict affects not only the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but Uganda as well. The ADF is based out of Uganda, and expanded into the DRC. The close proximity and geography between the two provided an ideal location for the ADF to create bases, recruit members, and receive support.