Authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have condemned a deadly raid on a mining facility in Ituri province blaming the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces an armed group linked to the Islamic State.
Officials said the assault occurred at the Muchacha mining site in Mambasa territory where militants stormed the facility set parts of the site on fire and looted equipment before fleeing the area.
Local civil society organizations reported that at least seven civilians were killed during the attack while dozens of people were abducted by the assailants. The raid also triggered widespread displacement as residents fled nearby villages fearing additional violence.
Authorities believe the attackers may have targeted mining operations run by a Chinese linked company operating in the region. Security analysts say armed groups in eastern Congo increasingly focus on mining infrastructure to secure funding and weaken state control over resource rich territories.
The Allied Democratic Forces originally formed in neighboring Uganda have carried out numerous attacks across eastern Congo in recent years. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 and has since been linked to multiple massacres and abductions in the region.
In response to the growing threat Congolese authorities have intensified joint military operations with Ugandan forces under a cross border campaign aimed at dismantling the group’s strongholds.
The Congolese army said troops recently destroyed a major command and logistics base located about twenty six kilometers from the town of Mambasa following a joint air and ground assault carried out last month in coordination with Ugandan forces.
During the operation soldiers reportedly seized explosives weapons communication equipment including radios and solar panels used by the militants. Officials described the discovery as a significant blow to the group’s operational network.
The Congolese government reiterated that security forces will continue pursuing armed groups until full state authority is restored in the troubled territories of Mambasa and Djugu.
Humanitarian agencies warn meanwhile that the violence is worsening an already severe crisis for civilians in Ituri province.
Reports indicate that clashes in villages across Djugu territory have killed at least twenty one civilians since the beginning of the month while fighting has forced additional families to flee communities already struggling with limited access to food clean water and medical care.
Children are among those most affected by the escalating insecurity with more than sixteen thousand seven hundred children in the Fataki health zone forced out of school after education activities were suspended due to nearby fighting.
Across Ituri province humanitarian organizations estimate that more than eight hundred sixteen thousand people are currently living in internal displacement many of them sheltering in overcrowded camps or informal settlements with limited services.
International observers warn that without improved security and sustained humanitarian assistance the ongoing conflict could push thousands more families into displacement and further destabilize one of eastern Congo’s most volatile regions.
