Armed fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) launched a brutal assault on a funeral gathering in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing more than 50 people, officials confirmed on Tuesday, September 9, 2025.
The overnight attack struck the town of Ntoyo in Lubero territory, North Kivu province, as mourners attended a ceremony late Monday.
Local authorities said most victims were hacked to death with machetes, while others were shot. Vehicles were also set ablaze during the rampage.
Macaire Sivikunula, a local administrator, reported a provisional death toll of 50 but noted that search efforts continued for missing residents. Colonel Alain Kiwewa, Lubero’s military administrator, later placed the toll closer to 60 and warned it could rise further.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan insurgent group now entrenched in Congo since the late 1990s, has been recognized by the Islamic State as an affiliate.
The militia has intensified attacks in recent months despite joint operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces.
In July, the group killed 38 worshippers in a church assault, and last month, more than 50 civilians were massacred in a string of raids.
Witnesses described panic as soldiers arrived only after the attackers had left. “By the time the army intervened, the massacre had already been committed,” said army spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo.
Residents reported large numbers of people fleeing the area in fear of renewed violence.
The SITE Intelligence Group said the ADF claimed responsibility for five recent strikes on civilians and army positions in both Congo and Uganda.
Meanwhile, Kinshasa and Kampala maintain they have stepped up military campaigns, but the group’s persistent violence continues to destabilize the mineral-rich east, where clashes with other militias, including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, have already displaced thousands.