In a wave of brutal assaults, Islamic State-affiliated rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) slaughtered 89 civilians across multiple sites in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, from November 13 to 19, 2025. The United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, detailed the atrocities in a statement, highlighting the vulnerability of women and children among the victims.
The attacks struck several localities, with rebels targeting a Catholic Church-run health center in Byambwe, where fighters killed at least 17 people—including women in maternity care—and torched four patient wards. Additional violence involved abductions and the pillaging of medical supplies, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
MONUSCO condemned the massacres, urging Congolese authorities to launch “independent and credible investigations to identify the perpetrators and accomplices… and bring them to justice.” The ADF, a Ugandan-origin group entrenched in Congolese forests since the late 1990s, has intensified its campaign despite joint operations by Congo’s army (FARDC) and Ugandan forces.
This bloodshed follows a pattern: In October 2025, ADF suspects murdered 19 in Mukondo village, and in September, the group claimed a funeral massacre killing over 60. Eastern Congo’s turmoil is further inflamed by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who seized swathes of territory earlier this year. Amid stalled peace talks mediated by the U.S. and Qatar, these attacks threaten stability and deter Western mining investments in the mineral-rich area, where millions remain displaced.
This event shows the effect of rebellist groups on the southern African region. These attacks have debilitated communities and families, and put them in fear of being attacked. These attacks have harmed the region by preventing the DRC from being able to provide adequate medical care to citizens and they have destroyed homes. This all is creating instability in the region, and for a poorer country, this is detrimental.
Other governments and the Congo’s government could work together to interfere in order to protect people from these attacks, and provide support to those who have been affected by rebellist violence. A third party interference could help keep these attacks at bay. The Congo alone cannot defend against these attacks and cannot afford to repair the damages left. This rebel group impacts multiple countries, so if the countries work together they could create an alliance which keeps them all safe.
This event connects to realism, because the terrorist group is taking a realist approach to assert dominance across the southern Africa region. They are using violence to ensure the security and success of their own group. This group originated in Uganda and spread to other countries. They have used realist ideologies and approaches in order to grow and establish themselves as a power in sub-saharan Africa.