DRC: Islamic State claims responsibility for an explosion in Kasindi, North Kivu Province, Jan. 15

Event

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for a bomb explosion that targeted a church in Kasindi, near the Ugandan border, on Jan. 15 . Up to 17 people were killed in the attack. Police have arrested one person suspected of being behind the attack.

Context

IS has claimed a presence in eastern DRC since 2019 via its Central African Province faction. The militant group Islamic State, Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed responsibility for two attacks in 2021 near the town of Beni, North Kivu. ISCAP is linked to the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which continues to conduct attacks in the Beni area despite the deployment of Ugandan armed forces to try to eradicate the group's activities.

The Jan. 15 incident highlights the persistent and elevated threat of militant violence in eastern regions of the DRC. Militant groups such as the ADF typically target military personnel, ammunition depots, political parties, and private citizens, and ambush passenger and private vehicles on major roads. In some instances, hand grenades, mines, and other explosive devices have been reconfigured into improvised explosive devices in combat areas. The threat of incidental violence to foreign travelers in the affected areas is high.