In the last four days, over 120 people (including children) have been killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo with the number continuing to rise as a rebel group and ISIS launch separate attacks on villages around the country. Currently, reports on the ground indicate that 9 villages have been attacked along with a military installation. The attacks (which are not all related) were conducted by the rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and ISIS. 

Locals on the ground report that ADF rebel fighters have retaliated on local civilians as a military campaign is waged against them. Civilians claim that ADF fighters are dragging men, women, and children outside their homes and executing them on site. In addition, younger females (12-year-olds +) are being imprisoned and used as sex slaves. 

Kinos Katuho (a civil society leader in Congo) said “The fighting continues even at this hour and victims’ bodies are being evacuated on motorbikes.” Another woman named  Suzanne Mwassi says “I returned home to find my whole family killed….my sisters….my children.” Mwassi adds that she hid in a surrounding bush for two days as militants attacked her village. 

In addition, ISIS has claimed responsibility for an attack near Idohu (Congo’s Ituri Province). There is no official death count yet, but it is estimated to be over 50. 

The UN peacekeeping force in Congo lists on their website that they have 17,000 personnel with an annual budget of over $1 billion ($1,054,608,600).