DRC: Assailants kill dozens of people in Irumu, Ituri Province, Jan. 13

Event

Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants attacked and killed up to 46 people in an attack on Abembi village in the Irumu area of Ituri Province Jan. 13. Local authorities have confirmed the incident. While the ADF has not claimed responsibility for the attack, they have a significant operational presence and have conducted several attacks in the area in the past.

Context

The threat of militant violence remains high in eastern areas of the DRC. A number of armed groups operate in the eastern and central regions, including the Nyatura Militia, the Uganda-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), the Patriotic Resistance Front in Ituri, and the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). A dozen of the so-called self-defense Mai-Mai militia groups are also active in the eastern region. These groups 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.