The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been plunged into fresh mourning after militants linked to ISIL (ISIS) brutally attacked a funeral gathering in North Kivu, leaving at least 60 people dead and hundreds more wounded.
The massacre, carried out late Monday by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), struck the village of Ntoyo in Lubero territory, a region already destabilized by years of conflict and militia activity.
Local administrator Colonel Alain Kiwewa confirmed the death toll on Tuesday, warning that it could rise further as officials assess the number of victims, many of whom were reportedly beheaded.
“The ADF attack caused around 60 deaths, but the final toll will be given later this evening,” he said.
Another administrator, Macaire Sivikunula, described the gruesome assault.
According to him, the victims were “caught off guard at a mourning ceremony,” with most “killed with machetes” while others were shot.
The attack is part of a bloody pattern. The ADF, believed to have around 1,000 to 1,500 fighters, has intensified its campaign of terror in eastern Congo, exploiting the fragile security situation in the mineral-rich Kivu region, where multiple armed groups operate.
The rebel group, originally rooted in Uganda, pledged allegiance to ISIL in 2017 under leader Musa Seka Baluku. Since then, it has branded itself as part of ISIL’s “Central Africa Province.”
The United States designated the ADF as a terrorist organization in 2021.
This latest atrocity follows a string of similar assaults.
In July, the ADF attacked a Catholic church, killing over 40 worshippers and kidnapping more than a dozen people.
A month later, it slaughtered 52 villagers, looting homes and destroying property.
Analysts say the group thrives on its mobility, avoiding direct confrontation with government forces but carrying out sudden raids to terrorize civilians, recruit children, and assert dominance.
“They aren’t strong enough to hold territory, but they are strong enough to survive,” said Stig Jarle Hansen, an expert on jihadist movements in Africa.
The ongoing violence has drawn international concern. Last week, a UN fact-finding mission accused all parties in the eastern Congo conflict including Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and the Congolese military of committing possible war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The report detailed widespread summary executions, sexual violence, and mass displacement.
Uganda, which has fought the ADF for decades, has troops deployed under Operation Shujaa in DRC’s Ituri and North Kivu provinces.
But despite joint offensives, the group continues to unleash devastating attacks. Just last week, two Ugandan soldiers were killed in clashes with ADF fighters.
The DRC’s eastern crisis has left millions displaced, with civilians bearing the brunt of atrocities.
Monday’s funeral massacre underscores the grim reality: as long as the ADF and other armed groups remain active, the region faces unending cycles of bloodshed.
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