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At least 40 people have been killed in the north-eastern region of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This is the latest grisly attack on civilians in the mountainous jungles near the Ugandan border.
Fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked Samboko village, about 100km southwest of the city of Bunia. Fighters from the ADF group was driven out of Uganda in the late 1990s.
A day after killing at least 17 in the nearby village of Makutano, ADF members killed at least 40 people with machetes and looted food and valuables early on Tuesday.
According to the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), more than 400 people have been killed in attacks attributed to the ADF. The KST is a research initiative that maps unrest in the region.
After two months of relative quiet, the area has seen a rise in deadly attacks in the last three weeks, according to KST. Rachel Tarwayo, a government administrator, said she was aware of the Samboko incursion but could not provide any further details.
Related: CODECO Militia kill 20 Villagers in North-east DRC
The ADF has pledged allegiance to the armed group ISIL (ISIS), but researchers say there is no evidence of close collaboration. ISIL has also endorsed some ADF attacks.
In the past two months, about 200,000 people have fled their homes in Ituri province. The Ituri province houses two village. This is due to the widespread violence by a variety of armed groups. The attacks have also hampered efforts to stamp out an Ebola epidemic.
The origins of the current violence in the DRC are in the massive refugee crisis and spillover from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. After Hutu genocidaires fled to eastern DRC and formed armed groups, opposing Tutsi and other opportunistic rebel groups arose.
