Militants kill 22 in eastern DR Congo despite claims of security progress

Angry residents of this eastern Congo city burned the town hall and stormed the UN peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO, after Allied Democratic Forces rebels killed eight people and kidnapped nine overnight in an attack earlier this year. AP Photo/Al-hadji Kudra MaliroShow less

Militants killed at least 22 people overnight in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, authorities said on Sunday, despite government claims to have rebels on the defensive.

Similar attacks have killed at least 179 civilians since the Congolese army launched an offensive on October 30 against the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan militant group.

In his State of the Nation address on Friday, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi said the campaign had “dismantled” nearly all of the group's sanctuaries and that the rebels were turning to guerrilla tactics out of desperation.

But the government has blamed the rebel group for similar attacks going back years, including dozens of night-time massacres since 2014 that have killed hundreds of civilians.

Repeated military operations have failed to fully eradicate it.

Richard Kivanzanga, the deputy administrator of Beni territory, told Reuters he counted 22 bodies on Sunday in the villages of Baoba and Ntombi.

“The assailants killed women, men and children,” he said. “It wasn’t possible to evacuate all the bodies today because we had to wait for an escort from the army.”

The surge in violence has lead to deadly protests against the army and UN peacekeepers for failing to protect them.

It has also complicated efforts to stamp out an Ebola outbreak in the area. Infections have started to rise in areas health workers have been unable to access.

The US Treasury imposed sanctions on Tuesday on six members of the rebel group, including its leader, Musa Baluku.

ISIS has claimed some of the group's attacks this year, but researchers say there is a lack of evidence linking the groups.