Dozens killed by Islamists in a week in DR Congo

More than 80 people were killed in one week by suspected Islamists in the Democratic Republic of Congo, local media reported.

It follows an attack on Friday by suspected Islamist rebels on villages in the east of the country.

“The attack had been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF),” said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo’s North Kivu province.

The ADF, which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active.

It originates from neighbouring Uganda and is alleged to be behind multiple assaults in the area over the past week, including one in the village of Masawu that killed 17 people, two civil society leaders said.