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| Allied Democratic Forces insurgency | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofKivu conflict andIturi conflict | |||||||
.jpg) A UNFIB soldier standing guard during an operation against the ADF on the outskirts ofBeni | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|  / Islamic State 1,500–2,000[12] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
 Unknown Many[13] 17+ killed[1] (at least 15Tanzanians, 1Malawian, 1South African)[13][14][15] | 1,590–2,090+ killed[16] 314+ captured[17] | ||||||
| 8,000 people killed (including civilians, soldiers and rebels)[a] 150,000+ displaced[6] | |||||||
TheAllied Democratic Forces insurgency is an ongoing conflict waged by theAllied Democratic Forces (ADF) inUganda and theDemocratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), against the governments of those two countries and theMONUSCO. The insurgency began in 1996, intensifying in 2013, resulting in hundreds of deaths. The ADF is known to currently control a number of hidden camps which are home to about 2,000 people; in these camps, the ADF operates as aproto-state with "an internal security service, a prison, health clinics, and an orphanage" as well as schools for boys and girls.[23]
The ADF was formed byJamil Mukulu, a far-rightUgandan Muslim belonging to theTablighi Jamaat group. Mukulu was born as David Steven and was baptised as aCatholic, later converting to Islam, adopting a Muslim name and becoming radicalised. He reportedly spent the early 1990s inKhartoum, Sudan, coming into personal contact withOsama bin Laden.[7]
ADF merged with the remnants of another rebel group, theNational Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU), during the years following the fall ofIdi Amin. ADF-NALU's initial goal was to overthrow Ugandan president'sYoweri Museveni government, replacing it with an Islamic fundamentalist state. The group went on to recruit former officers of the Ugandan army, as well as volunteers fromTanzania andSomalia. Funded by the illegal mining and logging industries of theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, ADF created 15 well organised camps in theRwenzori Mountains, located in the DRC—Uganda border areas. The insurgence remained unaffected by government amnesty and talk efforts, as members married local women.[24]
According to intelligence sources, ADF has collaborated withal-Shabaab andLord's Resistance Army. Receiving training and logistic support, with limited direct involvement from al-Shabaab's side. Other alleged sponsors of the faction include Sudanese Islamist politicianHassan al-Turabi and former DRC presidentMobutu Sese Seko.[7][4]
The ADF was formed in 1989. The conflict gradually intensified. By 2002, continuous pressure from the Ugandan Army forced ADF to relocate most of its activities into the neighboring Drc. The insurgency continued on a smaller scale until 2013, which marked a resurgence of ADF activity, with the group launching a recruitment campaign along with numerous attacks.[7][25][26]
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On 13 November 1996, the ADF perpetrated its first large-scale attack, on the towns ofBwera and Mpondwe-Lhubiriha in Kasese district, Uganda. Approximately 50 people were killed. 25,000 people fled the towns, before they were recaptured by Ugandan troops.[27][28]
Uganda expanded operations in the DRC from September 1997 onwards to attack ADF rebels. The DRC allowed these actions per DRC-authorized Ugandan deployments into Ntabi on 19 December, early February 1998, and early July 1998.[29]
From 11 to 13 August 1997, a bilateral meeting took place between the DRC and Uganda inKinshasa regarding Ugandan operations against ADF rebels.[29]
On 20 February 1998, ADF abducted 30 children, in the aftermath of an attack on a Seventh-Day Adventist College in Mitandi, Kasese district.[6]
On 4 April, five people were killed and at least six were wounded, when bombs exploded at two restaurants inKampala.[30] From 6 to 7 April, a further bilateral meeting took place between the DRC and Uganda in Kampala regarding Ugandan operations against ADF rebels. Bilateral meetings would again resume late that month, from 24 to 27 April in Kinshasa. In the latter meetings, the "Protocol on Security along the Common Border" was signed on 27 April. It focused on ending all armed rebel conflict, especially in Ruwenzori. Thus, their militaries agreed to cooperate on border security.[29]
On 8 June, ADF rebelskilled eighty students of theKichwamba Technical College inKabarole District, Uganda. Eighty students were abducted in the same raid. In June 1998, ADF rebels abducted over 100 school children from a school inHoima, Uganda.[30]
In August, thirty people were killed in three separate bus bombings, perpetrated by ADF.[30]
Between 10 April and 30 May 1999, ADF carried out seven attacks, resulting in 11 deaths and 42 wounded.[6]
On 9 December 1999, ADF attacked the Katojo prison facility, releasing 360 prisoners held for terrorism.[6]
On 20 April, Chief of Staff of the ADF, Commander Benz, surrendered to the UPDF and was the first senior commander to do so.[31]
A two-day meeting from 21 to 23 April held inLubumbashi was made to discuss armed groups within the DRC, attended by the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda, called the Tripartite Commission.[32][33] The discussion primarily concerned theDemocratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda's (FDLR) intention to engage in surrender on the condition of disarmament and repatriation into Rwanda.[34] On 21 April, Uganda accused the DRC of harboring the ADF within the DRC's border by the Ugandan Minister of Cooperation in Lubumbashi. The DRC's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ramazani Baya, denied the claim.[33] By 23 April, the released statement mentioned that "the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to put an end to the threat posed to the security of the three countries by the presence and activities of the negative forces in the east."[32] The three countries agreed to put into effect a US-backed information exchange mechanism for confidence building.[35] Despite their mention in discussion, the statement made no mention of ADF rebels or their activity.[32][35] The three countries intended to meet again in Kigali in August.[32]
On 30 April,USAID'sOffice of Transition Initiatives (OTI) reported that itsDisarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program disarmed around 11,500 former combatants since September 2004, with a thousand disarmed in September alone. OTI's Synergie d'Education Communautaire et d'Appui à la transition (SE*CA) community engagement and grant program indicated a success in diffusing ethnic tensions. Their program appraisal claimed that "there [was an] improvement on all indicators," with significant stability in many areas, includingKisangani andBunia. Stability and greater acceptance sentiments caused war affected people in communities hosting the SE*CA efforts to participate in reintegration efforts more.[34]
The Tripartite Commission Plus One, including Burundi in addition to the DRC, Rwanda, and Uganda, met again on 27 October in Kampala to further discuss foreign rebel presence in eastern DRC.[36]
During March 2007, the UPDF engaged ADF groups in multiple firefights, killing at least 46 inBundibugyo andMubende districts. The biggest battle occurred on 27 March, when the UPDF faced an estimated sixty ADF troops and killed 34, including three senior commanders. The UPDF claimed to have retrieved numerous weapons as well as documents that tie the ADF to theLRA.[4]
On 13 April, the UPDF and ADF engaged in an intense battle inside theSemuliki National Park, near the upscale Semliki Lodge tourist destination.[37]
On 4 December, two hundred ADF and NALU militants surrendered to Ugandan authorities.[6]
Ceasefire and amnesty talks between the government of Uganda and the ADF were held in Nairobi starting in May 2008. Negotiations were complicated by the fragmentation of the ADF's leadership.[38] Non-combatant dependents of the ADF were repatriated to Uganda by the IOM. At least 48 ADF fighters surrendered and were given amnesty.[39] As the threat from the LRA in the DRC waned, the UPDF put increasing focus on the ADF as a reason for UPDF personnel to remain in the DRC.[40]
Between February to March 2012, over sixty ADF insurgents were arrested within Uganda.[17] Between November 2012 and November 2013, ADF carried out 300 kidnappings.[41]
On 24 January 2013, insurgents tortured and later executed thirteen people who were previously abducted from the city ofOicha, North Kivu.[42]
In April, it was reported that ADF started a recruitment campaign in Kampala and other parts of the country.[26] Citing a defector from ADF, "allAfrica" reported that some ten new recruits joined ADF forces every day.[26]
In July, the ADF renewed its fighting in the Congolese district ofBeni. The ADF, together with the NALU, fought a pitched battle with the FARD, briefly taking the towns ofMamundioma andTotolito.[43] On 11 July, the ADF attacked the town ofKamango, triggering the flight of over 60,000 refugees across the border into the Ugandan district of Bundibugyo.[44]
Early in September, regional leaders under the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) asked the recently formed combativeIntervention Brigade underMONUSCO to attack positions of foreign negative forces operating in DRC, including the ADF.[45] On 23 September, 3 people were killed during an ADF attack in theWatalinga Sector, North Kivu, DRC.[45] On the 27th, ADF militants killed five and abducted 30 people in an attack on a health center in the city ofMaleki, DRC.[46]
On 23 October, ADF guerrillas abducted 26 people from the village of Upira, North Kivu, later transferring them to the rebel strongholds of Makembi and Chuchubo.[47]
On 14 December, thirteen people were killed, in the aftermath of an ADF attack on the Musuku village, Uganda.[48] On 15 December, ADF killed eight people in the Biangolo village, Uganda.[48] On the 25th, ADF rebels attacked the city of Kamango, DRC. Over fifty civilians were killed and many buildings were burnt down. The city was retaken by the Congolese army the following day.[49] On the 29th, ADF launched another attack on the city of Kamango. The ADF militants beheaded 21 civilians and urged the residents of the city to flee to Uganda.[49]
A report byNew York University in September 2017 found that Congolese Army commanders orchastrated massacres in Beni from 2014 to 2016. It cited multiple witnesses saying that army commanders, including the former top general in the zone, supported and in some cases organized the killings. Sources told it that during some massacres, soldiers secured the perimeter so that victims could not escape. It stated that the first massacres were orchestrated in 2013 by former leaders of the rebel group Popular Congolese Army (APC), which fought in the Second Congo War to create a new rebellion and undermine confidence in the central government of DRC. The report found these rebels were working with ADF. However, when the massacres began, the army commanders co-opted many of the networks of the local militias to weaken their rivals.[50]
.jpg)
On 17 January 2014, the Congolese army drove ADF militants soldiers out of the city of Beni, with the aid of UN's "Intervention Brigade" peace corps.[49]
On 17 February, a Congolese army spokesman announced that the military had killed 230 ADF rebels in the aftermath of a monthlong offensive, 23 FARDC soldiers were also killed in the operation.[51]
On 23 March, South African helicopters struck ADF forces for the first time, in support of Operation Sukola 1.[52]
Between 5 and 8 October, ADF militants killed fifteen people, within the North Kivu province, DRC.[53] On 15 October, ADF rebels killed 27 people in an attack on villages, located outside Beni.[53] On the 18th, ADF insurgents killed over twenty people, in an attack on the village of Byalos, DRC.[53] On the 31st, a crowd stoned to death, burned, and then ate a suspected ADF insurgent in Beni.[54]
On 20 November, rebels disguised as Congolese soldiers killed between fifty and eighty people near Beni.[55]
On 8 December, militants hacked to death 36 civilians in the vicinity of Beni.[56] On 26 December, an ADF attack resulted in the deaths of eleven people, in the village of Ndumi, Ituri.[57]
On 4 January 2015, a joint MONUSCO—FARDC offensive forced ADF militants out of the Mavure village, North Kivu. One rebel was killed, as government forces seized large amounts of drugs and training materials.[58]
On 5 February, ADF carried out a night raid on the city of Beni hacking to death 23 people and injuring one.[59]
On 9 March, ADF rebels killed one and injured two civilians in the area of the Semliki bridge, North Kivu.[60]
On 15 April, an ADF attack on the villages of Matiba and Kinzika, Beni-Mbau sector, DRC, led to the deaths of eighteen people.[61] On 23 April, ADF rebels massacred five civilians in the village of Kalongo, 6 kilometers northwest ofOicha.[62] On the 30th, Ugandan media reported that Jamil Mukulu was arrested in Tanzania.[63]
On 8 May, suspected ADF guerrillas attacked the Matembo neighborhood of the town ofMulekere, North Kivu. Seven people were slain in the attack bringing the region's 2015 death toll to over three hundred casualties.[64]
In early December, the ADF seized a MONUSCO base in North Kivu, killing a Malawian UN soldier. South African UN forces later retook the base, attacking withRooivalk attack helicopters.[65]
On 29 February, thirteen civilians were killed by suspected Ugandan rebels in the Beni territory in DRC. The killings took place in the village of Ntombi, located about 40 kilometers northeast of Beni.[66]
On 20 March, the ADF shot into a car, wounding three people.[67]
In early May, ADF insurgents armed with machetes hacked at least sixteen civilians to death in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.[68]
According to the DRC, in July, at least nine people were killed in an ADF attack north of Beni.[69]
The ADF has been blamed for theBeni massacre of 14 August.
On 7 October 2017, the ADF ambushed a group of state officials near Beni, killing 22.[1] The next day, the ADF attacked a UN base inGoma, killing two peacekeepers and wounding twelve.[1]
On 8 December, hundreds of ADF insurgents launched a coordinatedattack on a UN base in North Kivu province, killing at least fifteen UN peacekeepers and five Congolese soldiers in a protracted, hours-long gun battle before finally withdrawing. 72 insurgents are also killed in the firefight.[13]
On 15 January 2018, three DRC soldiers were killed, and five were wounded, while repelling an attack in Beni Territory by the ADF.[70][71]
On 2 February, in the eastern DRC, three people were killed in an attack by the ADF, who also looted a hospital.[72]
On 3 March, six people were shot dead and another was stabbed to death in a raid by ADF rebels in the village of Eringeti in DRC's North Kivu province.[73] From 5 to 6 March, twenty people were killed in several attacks by the ADF in North Kivu. More than fifteen others were reported missing after the attacks, and were probably kidnapped by the attackers.[74][75]
On 8 September,Muhammad Kirumira, a former police commissioner in Uganda, and her friend were both gunned down by several assassins. In 2019, Ugandan authorities linked the attack to the ADF, and arrested two suspects.[76] A third suspect died in a shootout with police on 28 September 2018
On 4 October, the ADF attacked an army outpost in Beni, killing at least six people.[77]
On 16 November, an ADF ambush near Beni left eight UN peacekeepers and twelve Congolese soldiers dead, and ten peacekeepers wounded. One peacekeeper went missing.[78] On the 22nd, unidentified militants, presumed to be the ADF, fired on a UN helicopter in the DRC near the Ugandan border. UN forces returned fire before retreating back to their base. Although the helicopter was damaged, there were no recorded casualties.[79] On the 27th, an ADF nighttime assault on Oicha killed six civilians. Congolese soldiers eventually repeled the rebels, killing one of them.[80]
On the night of 11 December, ADF insurgents bypassed Congolese army units and launched a second attack on Oicha, killing nine civilians and looting several homes.[81] On 23 December, the ADF attacked the village of Masiani, just outside Beni, DRC, killing four civilians and a soldier. Three civilians were wounded.[82] On the 27th, a medical holding center for patients infected withEbola virus was attacked. Three tents were burned, and supplies were looted. Congolese authorities blamed the ADF.[83]
On 7 January 2019, the ADF launched an attack on a market in the village of Mavivi, just north of Beni. Nine civilians (five of them children) were killed. Dozens of homes and farms are looted.[84] On 9 January, ADF insurgents attacked a Congolese army outpost in Beni. Three Congolese soldiers and seven civilians were killed in the resulting gun battle. Two Congolese soldiers were wounded.[85] On the 21st, the ADF attacked Congolese soldiers in the village of Mapou, just outside Oicha.[86] On the 24th, three people were killed and two others were wounded in an ambush, presumably by the ADF, in North Kivu, on a highway that led to Beni.[87]
On 12 February, Congolese soldiers attacked an ADF camp in Mamove, about 50 kilometers outside of Beni. Four insurgents were killed in the resulting firefight, and four hostages were rescued. Congolese soldiers also recovered medicine that had been previously looted by the ADF.[88]
On 8 March, a park ranger was shot dead by unknown assailants inVirunga National Park. Congolese authorities blamed the ADF.[89] On 19 March, ADF fighters disguised as security officers, infiltrated and attacked Kalau, a majority-Christian village near Beni. The resulting 4-hour assault killed six Christian civilians, including a toddler, and forced nearly five hundred others to flee their homes.[90]
On 2 April, Ugandan authorities reported that the ADF had begun establishing bases inMozambique'sCabo Delgado Province.
On 5 April, American tourist Kimberly Sue Endicott and her native guide were kidnapped by armed gunmen inQueen Elizabeth National Park, near the Uganda-DRC border. They were released two days later, after authorities reached a settlement with the kidnappers. The assailants were not identified, but Uganda and the U.S. strongly suspected the ADF.[91]
On 29 May, alleged ADF fighters launched a massive assault on Congolese army barracks and UN Peacekeeping forces in the village of Ngite, near Mavivi, DRC. After the militants briefly captured the barracks, a joint UN-Congolese army counterattack inflicted heavy losses on the ADF in a firefight, forcing the ADF to withdraw. At least 26 insurgents were killed. One South African UN Peacekeeper was wounded. Dozens of weapons, including AK-47s, machetes, grenades, mortars, and PKM machine guns, were recovered. TheIslamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.[92][93]
On 4 June, ADF fighters attacked a village in northeastern Beni, DRC. Thirteen civilians and two Congolese soldiers were killed, and a girl was abducted. Congolese soldiers eventually repelled the assault, killing one attacker. Clashes resumed in the area later that day. IS again claimed responsibility for the attack.[94] On June 7, officials from Rwanda, Uganda,Tanzania, and the DRC meet in Kinshasa to discuss a joint response to the ADF insurgency in North Kivu.[95]
On 22 July, ADF militants attacked the cities ofEringeti and Oicha, killing a total of 12 civilians (nine in Eringeti and three in Oicha). 10 civilians, including children, are abducted. That same day, the ADF clashes with Congolese soldiers in the towns of Mangboko and Masulukwed, resulting in 11 fatalities.[96] ISIL claims responsibility for the attacks.[97]
On 27 August, a major ADF attack on Boga inIturi Province, DRC, results in the abduction of 100–200 civilians and the looting of livestock, medicine, and food. Congolese soldiers engage in combat with the attackers, but no casualties are reported and there are conflicting reports of the effectiveness of the military's response. The attack lasts for about three hours.[98][99]
On 5 September, Tanzanian soldiers detained a truck full of cows destined for the DRC, alleging the shipment was arranged by ADF supporters to provide food for insurgents in the Congo.[100] On 14 September, Congolese soldiers repelled a suspected ADF attack on the town of Kitchanga. IS claimed responsibility for the assault.[101]
On 31 October, the Congolese army launched a large scale offensive against the ADF in theBeni Territory, North Kivu. According to spokesman General Leon Richard Kasonga: "the DRC armed forces launched large-scale operations overnight Wednesday to eradicate all domestic and foreign armed groups that plague the east of the country and destabilize the Great Lakes region." The operation is being carried out by the FARDC without any foreign support.[102] The focus is primarily on the ADF but also other armed groups are being targeted.[103]
On 13 November, Mil Mi-24 helicopters from Ukraine, operated by MONUSCO, conducted airstrikes on an ADF insurgent group attacking an army base near the Semuliki River. The militants retreat into the surrounding woods following the airstrikes. No peacekeepers are reported injured.[104] On the night of November 14–15, ADF insurgents attack a neighborhood in Beni, looting shops and homes. At least 15 civilians are killed, many of them by machete. It is believed the ADF carried out the attack in response to the renewed Congolese army offensive.[105] According to Congolese authorities, more than 40 civilians had been killed in such attacks since the Congolese army began a renewed offensive in early November.[106] On the 30th, Congolese soldiers killed high-ranking ADF commander Mouhamed Islam Mukubwa, during an assault in North Kivu. Mukubwa was described as one of the three major leaders of the ADF. Another senior ADF leader, Nasser Abdullayi Kikuku, was also killed earlier in the month.[107]
On 6 December, two ADF attacks in the villages of Mantumbi and Kolokoko killed 17 civilians.[108] On 10 December, the U.S. imposed sanctions on ADF leaderMusa Baluku, and five other Congolese Islamist rebels.[109]
On 13 January 2020, thirty Congolese soldiers were killed and 70 were wounded in an intense battle with ADF militants at the ADF's headquarters camp, nicknamed "Madina", near Beni. 40 ADF insurgents are also reported killed, including five top commanders. The Congolese army nevertheless captures the camp, but fails to apprehend the target of the raid, Baluku.[110] On 28 January, ADF militants hacked 38 civilians to death in Oicha.[111][112] On the 30th, ADF militants killed 21 civilians in three separate attacks on Oicha, Ache, and Mandumbi.[111]
On 8 February, ADF militants killed eight civilians and abducted twenty others near Beni. The militants retreated after being confronted by police.[111] On 9 February, sixty ADF fighters attack the village of Makeke, DRC, and kill seven civilians. Congolese soldiers and UN Peacekeepers respond and pursue the fleeing militants into the woods. After being cornered, 40 ADF fighters surrender to the Congolese army.[113] On the 17th, an ADF attack in Beni killed at least nine civilians and a Congolese soldier.[114] On the 18th, ADF militants killed 12 civilians and burn down several houses in a village east of Beni.[115] On the 19th, Five civilians taken hostage by the ADF are found murdered near Virunga National Park.[116] Between the 24th and 25th, Congolese soldiers and ADF insurgents clashed on two occasions in the Kadohu village in Beni after government forces intercepted an ADF raiding party. Seven ADF fighters and 2 Congolese soldiers were killed, and one ADF fighter was captured.[117] On the 28th, the Congolese army released a statement that claimed they pushed the ADF out of their last stronghold in Beni Territory.[118]
On 1 March, ADF fighters allegedly killed 24 civilians and twelve others in an attack on a village in Ituri Province.[119] Between 9 and 25 March, various clashes in eastern Congo killed fourteen Congolese soldiers and 62 ADF insurgents.[120] Between the 20th and 24th, heavy fighting outside Beni killed 12 Congolese soldiers and 37 ADF insurgents. Congolese military officers reported that the ADF's influence in North Kivu had been reduced by 80%.[121] On the 30th, the ADF released 38 hostages following a skirmish that left two civilians and one Congolese soldier dead.[122]
On 6 April, an ADF attack on the town of Halungpa, 18 miles away from Beni, kills six civilians.[123] On 14 April, a civilian is killed in an ADF attack on Beni. The Congolese army repels the assault in a skirmish that leaves two soldiers and five insurgents dead.[124]On 24 May, nine civilians were killed in an ADF attack on Beni. The ADF burned several houses to the ground as well. The army claimed they killed 17 of the attackers.[125] On 25 May, 17 civilians were killed in an ADF on the village of Makutano.[126][127] On the 26th, at least forty civilians were killed by the ADF at a village in Ituri province. The ADF also looted food and other goods.[128]
On 16 June, six civilians were killed and six went missing in an ADF attack along in North Kivu. More than sixty homes were also burned by the ADF.[129] On 19 June, nine civilians were kidnapped, then killed by the ADF.[130] On the 20th, ten civilians were killed by the ADF in the village of Bukaka,[130] and another ten civilians were killed by the ADF in the village of Biangolo.[131] On the 21st, ten civilians were killed by the ADF in the village of Vukaka.[131] On the 22nd, UN Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and another injured in an attack on their patrol. The attack took place in the town of Makisabo near the city of Beni in the North Kivu province.[132]
On 22 August, the ADF killed thirteen civilians during raids on the villages of Kinziki-Matiba and Wikeno.[133]
On 8 September, ADF militants, fleeing military pressure in Beni, stormed the village of Tshabi, killing 23 people.[134] On 10 September, ADF militants once again attacked Tshabi, killing 35 people, and then destroyed the villages.[134] On the 20th, ADF rebels killed ten civilians in the town of Mbau.[135] On the 25th, eleven bodies were found in the town of Mutuanga after an ADF attack at night.[136]
On 5 October, six were killed by the ADF in Beni.[137] The ADF, together with theMai-Mai Kyandenga, also attack FARDC troops in the town of Mamove, killing ten civilians.[138] On 20 October, 1,335 prisoners were freed when the ADF attacked Kangbayi central prison and a military camp that provided security to it in Beni. Two inmates were killed in the attack.[139] Between the 28th and 30th, forty people were killed in ADF attacks in the villages of Baeti and Lisasa. People were also kidnapped and churches set on fire.[citation needed] On the 30th, 21 civilians were killed during ADF raids on the villages of Kamwiri, Kitsimba, and Lisasa. Twenty civilians were also abducted and many buildings were set on fire.[140]
On 17 November, 29 bodies were found in Virunga National Park after being killed by the ADF.[141]
On 22 December, four civilians and one soldier were killed in an attack on Bulongo.[142] On 30 December, the ADF captured Loselose village.[143] On the 31st, 25 civilians were massacred by the ADF in the village of Tingwe.[143]
On 1 January 2021, the DRC and UN peacekeepers captured Loselose from the ADF. Two DRC and fourteen ADF soldiers were killed during the fighting. Seven DRC soldiers were wounded.[144] On 4 January, 25 civilians were killed and several more were kidnapped by the ADF in Tingwe, Mwenda and Nzenga villages.Secretary-General of the UN,António Guterres, again called forglobal ceasefire after the killings, he also urged the DRC "to take concrete steps to address the drivers of conflict in the east of the country". Local leaders Bozy Sindiwako and Muvunga Kimwele said that army intervened too late to push back the rebels. DRC officials announced that they discovered 21 bodies which were "in a state of decomposition" in Loselose and Loulo.[145][146][147] On the 15th, three soldiers and thirteen civilians were killed when suspected ADF militants attacked the village of Ndalya, 60 miles south of Bunia.[148]
On 1 March, ten civilians were killed in two attacks by suspected ADF militants in eastern DRC. Eight were slain in Boyo village, with two more in Kainama village.[149] On 31 March, 23 civilians were killed in a village near Beni.[150]
On 31 May, 57 civilians were killed in displacement camps near the towns of Boga and Tchabi in eastern DRC.[151]
On 1 July, the U.S. Ambassador to the DRC,Michael A. Hammer, announced that the U.S. would assist in training and share intelligence with Congolese forces.[152]
On 25 October, a principal actor behind many of the armed groups within eastern DRC, John Tibasima, is arrest byFARDC forces.[153]
On 8 December, suspected ADF fighters killed 16 people at Mangina and Masiriko villages in North Kivu.[154]
TheNtoroko clashes were on 13 December 2022.
TheKasindi church bombing was on 15 January 2023, and theMakugwe massacre was on the 22nd.
TheMukondi massacre was between 8 and 9 March.
On 14 June, 42 people were killed by the ADF in theLhubiriha Secondary School attack in Mpondwe, Uganda.
On 17 October, the ADF killed two foreign tourists and their Ugandan guide in Queen Elizabeth National Park.[155] On 24 October, the ADF killed 23–26 Christian civilians in an attack targeting the city ofOicha, North Kivu.[156] On the 28th, the ADF killed two Ugandan soldiers and two civilians in a car park inKasindi, Beni Territory. A fifth body, assumed to be a perpetrator, was also found.[157]
On 12 November, the ADF tied up and killed at least 23 villagers in Eastern DRC. Some villagers fled by crossing theLamia River into Uganda, but are suspected to have drowned.[158] On 14 November, the ADF beheaded at least 14 people in an attack on a farming community in North Kivu. They also burned down houses. Other farmers went missing after the attack.[159]
On 18 December, the ADF killed a local councilor and four of her clients in a restaurant in Kyabandara parish, Uganda.[160]
On 18 May 2024, Operation Shujaa troops captured Commander Anywari Al Iraq, anIED expert from Uganda. In the operation, joint forces seized anSMG, 45 rounds of ammunition, threewalkie-talkies, anRPG charger, and various IED materials.[161][162]
Targeting ofSeka Musa Baluku's Madina headquarters by Operation Shujaa forces forced its relocation around May, speculated to be deeper intoMambasa Territory inIturi Province. Camps led by Commanders Mzee Mayor, Mzee Wa Kazi, and others holding dependents and hostages merged with Madina in May as well. The Madina camp also moved, being reportedly sighted north of Lolwa, Mambasa Territory.[161]
June was the deadliest month of 2024, attributed particularly to Commander Abwakasi's attacks between 3 June and 12 June, during which over 150 civilians were killed. On 3 June, the group crossed the RN44 road to attack Ngwaba village, killing two civilians. The group moved southwest that same day to Masau village, where they killing 18 more civilians. On 5 June, eight civilians from Kabwiki and Keme villages were killed in attacks by the group. Days later, on 7 June, the group attacked Masala and two nearby settlements. In this attack, the group set up roadblocks along main roads connecting the three settlements, posed as Wazalendo forces to gain local trust, before massacring civilians trapped between the roadblocks. 41 bodies were recovered in the aftermath, found between the villages of Masala and neighboring Mahihi and Keme.[161]
On 7 July, Madina camp resupplier, Toyo Adallah, surrendered to Operation Shujaa troops on a resupply trip in Bahaha, Mambasa Territory. Adallah was supposedly facing a death sentence by the ADF for having committedadultery. He was promptly taken to Uganda.[b][161]
ADF camps led by commanders Tabani, Defender, and Braida merged into one at some point in July.[161]
On 11 August, the ADF attempted to detonate a drone-born IED attack on a FARDC position in Malyajama, 30 kilometers from Beni. The device failed to detonate and was recuperated by security forces.[161]
High-profile Commander Braida died by friendly fire from his fellow soldiers on 14 August, alongside one of his two wives. He reportedly died near Biakato, Ituri Province, while he, his group, and other dependents were travelling towards Musa Baluku's Madina camp. His dependents continued to Madina on Baluku's orders. Another high-profile Commander, Amigo, died days after Braida, reportedly from a fatal head injury inflicted by an explosive launched by Operation Shujaa forces while bringing a group of Braida's family and dependents which had split up prior to Braida's death. One of Braida's wives, which Amigo had abducted years prior, estimated Amigo to be over 50 years old and confirmed his death. The two groups would then merge, but were again attacked by Operation Shujaa forces, which scattered the group, allowing some dependents, including several of Braida's wives, to escape. The status of others within the group remain unknown.[161][163]
Abwakasi's group, considered "the most active and deadly ADF cell" by UN officials, was seen operating near Manguredjipa,Lubero Territory in August. Operation Shujaa troops went in pursuit, and the group slowed by clashes with local militias.[161]
On 28 September, joint Operation Shujaa forces announced having neutralized more than fifty ADF rebels in Beni, Mambasa, and Lubero Territories.[164]
In October, Operation Shujaa's Major GeneralRichard Otto said that business and schools were resuming along the Kasindi border.[165]
The night between 21 and 22 December, between six and 18 civilians were killed in the village of Robinet in the Bapere Sector, with ADF rebels looting and burning down homes.[166][167][168][169] The following day, six civilians were killed by the same rebels in the neighboring village of Kodjo.[169] On 25 December, 3 bodies were found 4 kilometers from Makele, likely killed by the same ADF attackers.[166][167][168]
Before the last week of 2024, Ugandan Minister of Security, RTD[c] Major GeneralJim Muhwezi, assured Ugandan civilians that the government was equipped to deal with any ADF threats.[170] More than 50 people were killed between 22 December and 31 December's festivities, particularly in attacks on villages in the Babika and Baredje groups, Bapere sector and in the Manzia and Mwenye groups in the Baswagha chiefdom. Bapere civil society President, Samuel Kagheni, reported that ADF rebels burned homes in most attacks, contributing to why many residents were forced to move to Manguredjipa and Nziapanda, where FARDC-UPDF joint forces were present. Local sources witnessed ADF fighters splitting into smaller groups to circumvent military positions, come in from the Bandulu region, and return into the Beni Territory.[169][171]
On 29 December, administrator of the Lubero territory, Colonel Alain Kiwewa, denounced the killings in Robinet and Kodjo nearly a week prior.[169] Between the night of 29 and 30 December, rebels killed seven people in the town of Matombo. The following night, between 30 and 31 December, the same rebels attacked the town of Kekelibo and a different group of ADF rebels, armed with knives andlight arms, attacked the village of Kily in the Bulengya group, killing eight civilians, and the village of Mongoya in the Manzya group, killing four civilians.[172][173] Two ADF rebels were caught by locals, who handed them over to Nziapanda's security services.[173] On 31 December, Chief of Bapakombe Bakondo village, Mwami Atsu Taibo, reported that ADF rebels attacked the FARDC's Mikua position, but were repelled and pursued.[174]
Operations Shujaa's "relative" success was primarily attributed to the killing of numerous high-profile Commanders.[161][163] However, FARDC-UPDF joint forces' attacks pushed ADF militants into areas without security presence, still causing many killings of civilians.[161][175][176]
An estimated that 1,322 people died due to ADF attacks in 2024. By the start of 2025, 103 victims were still missing.[177] At least 300 security violations and human rights abuses had occurred in 2024.[175][176] It stated that "the ADF is one of the most active armed groups in eastern DRC" and concluded that:
The ADF remain a real and imminent threat, both locally for the people of Beni, as well as nationally and even internationally. Continuously instrumentalised for economic and ideological reasons, they wage guerrilla warfare and sow terror for material or hidden, immaterial interests. They base their survival on their own isolated informal networks, on the media coverage of their methods of action (repertoires of action), and above all on the Congolese security services' ineffectiveness in ensuring territorial control and internal administrative networking. These armed conflicts perpetrated by the ADF contribute to the creation and/or implantation (conflicts with transversal consequences within society) of other conflicts of a similar nature, i.e. identity-based ones.[176]
A UN report released in December 2024 found that Operation Shujaa found "relative" success, with most attacks carried out along the RN4 road. Furthermore, later attacks destroyed strongholds, depleted combatants and leaders, and released hundreds of hostages.[161]
The deaths of ADF commanders Braida and Amiga were confirmed. Braida's 14 August death was confirmed by eight former hostages and his two former wives.[161][163] The arrest of ADF operatives Yakut Musana and Abdul Rashid Kyoto was provided to the Group in a 1 November communication from the Ugandan government. The Group, however, could not confirm Uganda's claim to have "put out of action" notable ADF rebels including Muraaro Segujja, Feza, Musa Kamusi, Boaz, Rubangakene, Abu Yassin, Bagdad, Fazul, and Mzee Mubindio in the same communication. Furthermore, the government's claim to have killed high-profile ADF Commanders Meddie Nkalubo and Mulalo was disproven as they were found active in ADF activities in 2024; the government confirmed this truth in the same communication.[161]
Intensified attacks on the ADF, however, have forced the group to move to more remote locations and in smaller groups. This movement increased attacks on civilians, revenge killings, kidnapping, looting, and attacks on medical personnel and humanitarian volunteers. The Group concludes that this is caused by Operation Shujaa operations pushing ADF rebels into areas that have no security presence, particularly inIturi and North Kivu.[161] Technology is becoming increasingly pervasive in ADF arsenals. Detained ADF collaborators, combatants, and former hostages confirmed that drones were used in most camps for surveillance and scouting.[d][161][178]
According to the Group, between 1 June and 5 November, 124 ADF attacks resulted in a documented 650 civilian deaths. June was the deadliest month with over 200 deaths reported in Beni, Lubero, and southern Ituri Territories. Attacks in the Cantine locality and Manguredjipa suffered the most attack, causing heavy civilian displacement.[161] Notable ADF factions of Commanders Tabani, Defender, and Braida were the most active, particularly in villages around Mamove, Biakato, and Beu Manyama.[161][176]
It was believed that theAlliance Fleuve Congo-M23 (AFC-M23) coalition attempted to establish an alliance with the ADF, with talks beginning in February 2024.[161][179]
Territorial administrator of Lubero Territory, Colonel Alain Kikewa, said on 3 January 2025 that FARDC forces were instrumental in maintaining control and calm in the core of Lubero but expressed regret over individuals displaced or in distress due to conflict in the region.[180]
The Taximen en Danger association reported the same day that 31 motorcycle taxi drivers were killed and 48 motorcycles were burned or stolen by both ADF rebels and nonidentifiable attackers throughout 2024. Coordinator Jérôme Malule lamented the deaths and losses of taxi drivers, claimed armed groups use barriers to levy hefty taxes, noted the importance of drivers in the local economy, and called for justice where no public hearing against attackers has been held.[181]
The CRDH reflected on Operation Shujaa on the same day. It noted a relative peace in theIrumu Territory, particularly in the Banyali and Bahema Mitego chiefdoms, underscored the existence of the group's stronghold in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, found movements towards Mambasa Territory, and praised the release of several hostages. CRDH coordinator for Ituri, Christophe Muyanderu, found that many operations were, however, "poorly planned," forcing rebels into unsecured areas where populations remained vulnerable, noting the group's movement into the Mambasa Territory.[182]
The Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition (SHCC) reported than in 2024, there were "84 incidents of violence against or obstruction of health care," down from 118 in 2023 and 136 in 2022. In 2024, eight heath personnel were killed, nine kidnapped, and many supplies looted. The ADF were one of many rebel groups in the region which contributed to these figures.[183]
Fighting along in Lubero Territory in December 2024 caused people to be displaced next December. The territory's civil society president, Samuel Kagheni, reportedly forced most individuals from the towns of Byambwe, Nziapanda, and Itenda to flee their homes at the beginning of the year.[172]
January had a resurgence in ADF activities, particularly in Beni and Lubero Territories. On January 4, four bodies were found in a forest near Bwanasura village, with eight more found near Otmaber village in the Bandavilemba group on 5 January. Most of those killed were war veterans, with ADF rebels suspected to have killed them.[184][185] According to Radio Okapi, the bodies were "already in an advanced state of decomposition" and were buried.[184] On the night of the 5th, the ADF attacked the village of Loselose in Beni Territory, killing at least five civilians, with many others missing.[186][187]
Visits to the region by military and political officials like MP Emil Saidi Balikwisha and UPDF Head,GeneralMuhoozi Kainerugaba, between 7 and 9 January called for increased military presence in the Beni and Lubero territories.[188][189] On 10 January, Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC for the UNOffice for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Bruno Lemarquis, showed a "deep dismay" for the over 100,000 displaced since 1 January due to M23 clashes with the FARDC and attacks from the ADF, particularly condemning violence against civilians and humanitarian workers.[190]
On 11 January, three farmers were killed and 12 others kidnapped in the farmlands around the Bapakome-Bakondo village by ADF rebels. Attackers also burned homes, with one of three killed being burned alive.[191] The chief of the village pleaded for increased security presence the following day.[192] Witnesses reported seeing ADF rebels occupying farmlands in Kipeyayo, Mawangose, and part of Lahe the afternoon of 11 January.[191]
On 15 January, ADF rebels perpetrated amassacre in Muhangi, killing 32 civilians withmachetes. Several were injured and many went missing during the attack in Makoko, Masakoti, and Mambangu. Residents west of the Bulengya group reportedly gathered belongings and sought refuge in Vusamba, Musienene, Musimba, Kyambogho, Kimbulu, and the town of Butembo.[193][194][195][196] Requests from Kinshasa and Kampala influenced UPDF forces to move from Butembo to Lubero Territory to respond to the increased ADF activity and 15 January attack, the increased presence, in turn, being said to have secured the region.[197] Nevertheless, on 18 and 19 January, ADF rebels reportedly attacked villages in central Lubero, injuring civilians and inflicting material damage.[198] On the night of 20 January, Municipal President of Ruwenzori commune in Beni, Clarisse Kavuho Kyamuthika, reported than in the previous 10 days, attacks from ADF rebels near Mikuha left three dead.[199]
National MP Arsène Mwaka echoed calls from Balikwisha, Kainerugaba, and Kyamuthika on 21 January, commenting that joint forces should increase their presence from the south back to the north of Lubero, referencing the recent attacks and disappearances.[200] Lemarquis reported on 22 January that over 200,000 displaced individuals had been displaced in North Kivu due to these attacks since June 2024.[201] He and local sources believe that increased focus on M23 left security vacuums benefitting ADF rebels.[201][202][203] Rwanda would defend the actions of the M23 Movement by accusing the DRC of ignoring the actions of ADF militants at theUN Security Council's meeting on 22 January.[204][205]
ADF rebels were reportedly seen moving near the Batangi-Mbau axis, 25 kilometers from Beni.[202] On 24 January, local sources from Beni Territory reported than in January, sixteen people were killed in attacks by the ADF, often burning homes in their assaults.[206] On 27 January, ADF rebels executed two tandem attacks along the National Road 4 in the Walesse Vonkutu chiefdom. The first was in the forest near Mambelenga, where nine were killed and one was injured. The second was along the Mungamba-Ndimo axis, where three motocyclists were attacked, one being killed and the other two injured. Rebels set the motorcycles and cargo on fire.[207] On 27 January, ADF rebels kidnapped four individuals from the village of Manjamba, Lubero.[198]
On 27 January, DRC officialThérèse Kayikwamba Wagner made a requested for the UNSC to meet regarding the deteriorating situation in Goma.[208] Although the report did not concern the ADF, Wagner reported that over 500,000 individuals had been displaced in North andSouth Kivu in January alone at the UN Security Council's meeting on 28 January, which included some ADF activity.[209][210][211]: 17–18 Lemarquis commented on the worsening humanitarian situation, warning that many people will be killed and displaced.[208] UNOCHA's spokesperson said Goma hospitals were overwhelmed and the World Food Program said it had temporarily paused food assistance.[212]
On 30 January, ADF rebels attacked the towns of Katwakasoya, Mataha, and Ndalya in Irumu Territory, where ten, four, and one persons were killed respectively. However, fleeing and missing residents made death tolls inconclusive.[213] The ADF ended the month with an attack on Lumba, located 35 kilometers northwest of Butembo, killing 12 civilians in multiple attacks throughout the day of 31 January. Several went missing and searches for bodies were dispatched.[214]
On 31 January, Uganda announced the that it would adopt a forward defensive posture in the DRC, particularly in the Lubero Territory where it would join the few present FARDC positions focused on ADF rebels.[215][216][217] Between 6 January and 12 February, the ADF also carried out attacks along National Road 4 and 10 kilometers west of thereof, in the villages of Israël, Kazaroho, Kimautu, Mongee, Kasoko, Apakou, and Apakola. Local witnesses and politicians reported that many people were killed and abducted, but could not yet be recovered due to ADF presence.[218]
The beginning of February began with a spree of massacres. Between the 1st and 4th, over a hundred civilians were killed in southern Irumu, Ituri Province. These massacres concluded with multiple attacks on 4 February, where ADF rebels emerged from nearby forests in small groups and fired indiscriminately to create panic in southern Irumu and neighboring towns of Kangatiro, Butumai, and Lulueba in central Idohu. In Irumu, 9 civilians were found dead in fields, killed with knives. In another town nearby, ADF rebels killed 10 people, burned multiple homes, and looted buildings.[219] Between 24 January and 2 February, local sources and survivors of ADF attacks reported that upwards of 121 residents were killed in Mutwanga and their homes looted. Many residents of the village fled by late February.[220]
On 4 February, Uganda deployed over a thousand additional UPDF troops, bringing its total to around five thousand total, following its 31 January statement.[221][222] Around forty vehicles carrying these troops were seen crossing the border into the DRC by local sources. The UPDF announced this deployment on 5 February. A meeting between FARDC and UPDF military officers deployed in both Ituri and North Kivu provinces was scheduled for 12 February in Boga.[223] Around this time, three fatal incidents between Mayi-Safi and Mama-Neema were recorded, where IEDs detonated along roads. Local sources believe they were planted by the ADF.[224] On 7 February, ADF rebels raided various Christian villages and killed residents in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces[225] On 10 February, three civilians were killed in the Luna-Samboko village in Ituri, near Beni.[218]
ADF militants perpetrated theKasanga Massacre on 12 February, where rebels entered the village of Mayuba in Lubero Territory, North Kivu, and abducted at least seventy Christian civilians. The captives were subsequently taken to aProtestant church in the nearby village of Kasanga, North Kivu, where they were beheaded. The bodies were discovered on 15 February.[226][227] The FARDC reinsured populations in Ituri to continue about their daily business on the 17th, noting the early February arrival of additional Ugandan troops. The UPDF and FARDC would begin discussions in Bunia, Ituri Province, about pooling resources in this southern part of the province.[228] Local residents, however, remained skeptical about motivations considering the precarious situation between the DRC and Rwanda, which was discussed at the UN Security Council's meeting following M23massacres in Bukavu, North Kivu.[223][229][230] This was also born from aTwitter post published that day by UgandanPresident Museveni's son, Lieutenant GeneralMuhoozi Kainerugaba, threatening to attack and take control of Bunia if "all forces" there did not lay down their arms. Kainerugaba's desire was speculated to be linked to his 11 February post claiming that theBahema ethnic group was being killed. Furthermore, Kainerugaba has expressed an outspoken support for Rwandan PresidentPaul Kagame, who himself has claimed no link between the M23 and Rwanda, and called M23 fighters "brothers of ours" regarding rights for CongoleseTutsis.[231]
On 18 February, along the 72-kilometer Eringeti-Kainama road, in the Lese farmlands, a farmer stepped on an IED, causing injuries which he succumbed to in the Beni General Hospital. Local sources believed the explosive was placed by ADF troops, considering militants had been seen crossing this road and others nearby.[224]
On 21 February, Museveni publicly commented that the UPDF's deployment in the DRC, as Ugandan troops were present in Bunia, was solely to fight the ADF, and not to combat M23 rebels.[232]
On 24 February, the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom in the southern Irumu territory, Ituri, reported that upwards of 70 people were killed by the ADF since the beginning of the year. It also reported that numerous homes had been burned and systematically looted, hindering local populations from performing their "agricultural activities." Security was especially weak around the Komanda-Luna region. The ADF reportedly occupied ten localities in the area, including Bandiangu, Bandavilemba, Bokutchu, and Bavokutchu.[233] The same day, local sources in Bapere reported suspected the ADF of robbing over nine hundred animals from multiple farmers—further disrupting farmers who already feared for security in the area, which they claimed was ADF-occupied.[234] Around 25 February, farmers in Bwanasula, Kidepo, Machongani, Apende, Ndalya, Samboko, Mutweyi, Masongo, Mambelenga, and Ndimbo claimed to fear for their lives following clashes between the FARDC and ADF. The FARDC had military barriers placed in many of these villages. Farmers reported being harassed by both the military and the ADF.[235] On 28 February, a briefing by UN officialStéphane Dujarric noted the increase in ADF attacks. Based on reports from local sources, the ADF killed 23 civilians and kidnapped others in numerous villages in Ituri between 25 and 26 February. That day, 26 February, 17 civilians were killed in Beni territory.[236]
On 27 February, local sources reported that around 30,000 displaced households had been without assistance for upwards of four years, fleeing atrocities primarily perpetrated by the ADF. Most came from the Walese Vonkutu and the Mambasa territories, and some others from North Kivu. They believed that these areas were the epicenter of ADF activity, which forced many households to leave and many others not to have access to their fields.[237]
On 22 March, it was reported that Ugandan intelligence indicated an alliance pact between theCooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) Lendu militant rebels and the ADF.[238][239] This was a notably surprising event considering the ADF have historically not worked with another other groups, other rebels included.[239]
Between 31 March and 1 April,Thomas Lubanga, native of the Ituri Province, announced that a new political and militant rebel group had formed in Ituri, called theConvention for the Popular Revolution (CPL).[240][241][242][243] Lubanga was convicted of recruiting child soldiers, an internationally recognizedwar crime[e] by theInternational Criminal Court (ICC), in 2012, but was released and appointment as an peacemaking task force emissary in Ituri by Congolese presidentFélix Tshisekedi in 2020.[241][243][244] In 2022, he was captured by a rebel group for approximately 2 months, after which he sought refuge in Kampala.[241] Lubanga reported that armed militants were present in three areas of the province. The number of fighters Lubanga controlled was unclear.[241][245] It is believed that this development could bring further instability in the region as FARDC, UPDF, and Joint Operation Shujaa forces deal with unrelenting ADF attacks and major M23 advances.[240][242][246] Furthermore, former Ugandan funding for Lubanga'sUnion of Congolese Patriots (UPC) during the UPC's military interventions in the Second Congo War could complicate their involvement in the region.[243][247] The CPL launched its first offensives in the early weeks of August 2025, during which 18 people were caught between heavy gunfire and killed.[246]
ADF rebels attacked the Mambasa, Ituri mining area 5km off of the PK23 road during the night between 5 and 6 April. Rebels attacked farmers with machetes and light arms, killing three and injuring others. They were seen escaping with hostages. Civilians in the peripheries moved into Mambasa-centre and Mayuano, both of which were reportedly secured by local police forces. The CRDH claims local populations alerted authorities of rebel presence in the area a month prior, but no security was provided. Territorial secretary and human rights advocate claimed ADF rebels set up tents in Mendimendi and Mandondo for the sake of establishing a camp or stronghold.[248] On 9 April, 21RPG-7 rockets were destroyed in the town of Boga, Irumu Territory, Ituri by thedeminingAfrica for Mine Action (AFRILAM) NGO. They were identified to have been buried for over a year near an FARDC camp within Boga. AFRILAM urged citizens to watch for more explosives as they were in the areas and others nearby when the ADF were active.[249]
On 4 June, two people, including asuicide bomber, were killed near aRoman Catholic shrine in Kampala, onUgandaMartyrs' Day. Uganda police attributed the bombing to the ADF.[194]
Joint Operation Shujaa forces reportedly began launching precision strikes and heavy artillery shells at the infamous Madina camp on the morning of 6 July.[250][251] On 10 July, the UPDF claimed to have captured the ADF's primary camp, located in Apakwang, Ituri Province, at the time.[251][252][253] It was believed to have hosted between 1,000 and 1,500 fighters and dependents, which had consolidated six other camps into its structure in 2024.[161][251][252] Col. Chris Magezi, assistant to the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, said that joint forces were in pursuit of fleeing ADF rebels, which moved westwards.[254] Although the attack was said to be a landmark achievement in Operation Shujaa, ADF rebels mostly managed to escape. No casualty or capture numbers were published. Joint forces' pursuit also aimed to search for hostages and better understand the ADF's logistical systems, physical and not.[251] TheArmed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) NGO's August report believed that the success of this operation could be attributed to the increased UPDF troop deployments. The same report found that the most active ADF cell in 2025 was under the Commander Ahmad Mahmood Hassan.[252] The ADF perpetrated theKomanda massacre on 27 July, when rebels arriving fromMount Hoyo, likely led by Commander Seka Umaru, killed 43 civilians in the Saint Anuarite Catholic church.[252]
Three people are killed by the ADF in Idohu on 2 August. The FARDC responded to notifications from local residents and a clash with rebels and the armed forces ensued. Bodies were recovered in the Walesse Vonkutu chiefdom. Searches for more bodies continued on nearby Israel Mountain.[195][255] Suspected ADF rebels attacked a vehicle travelling from Butembo to Bunia, about 20 kilometers from Eringeti, on a road between the two cities on 9 August. Attackers set fire to the vehicle and took hostages. FARDC and UPDF joint forces deployed shortly after trying to recover hostage and ensure safety on the passage.[199] Nine hostages were recovered by Operation Shujaa troops the following day, 10 August, with seven hostages still held by ADF rebels.[200] At least 30 people were killed on 15 August by suspected ADF elements in Bapere, North Kivu.[256] Two days later, on 17 August, at least nine people, including eight civilians and one police officer, are killed in Oicha, Beni by ADF rebels during the night. They were suspectedly killed with knives.[257][258]
On 8 September, ADF militants perpetrated theNtoyo massacre. In early September, a group of national deputies filed a petition toimpeach several members of both parliamentary houses, including Assembly PresidentVital Kamerhe and Senate presidentJean-Michel Sama Lukonde.[259] It was led by currentUnion for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) and formerUnion for the Congolese Nation (UNC) member,Crispin Mbidule.[260][261] On 15 September, the petition was submitted with 262 signatures.[261][262][263] The following day, 16 September, Epenge followed up on the discussions by accusing the ruling parliamentary party, theSacred Union of the Nation, of neglecting Congolese citizens massacred and abducted by ADF rebels in the eastern Congo among other issues.[264]
In December, theFoundation for Defense of Democracies'Long War Journal reported upwards of 967 civilians were killed in 2025, "with most, if not all, of the victims being Christian villagers."[265] ACLED included both civilians and combatants in its figure of at least 1,370 fatalities by the ADF, surpassing M23.[266]
