DRC looks ahead to 2025 with uncertainty, as rebels slay at least 21 in country’s east

As the world prepares to welcome 2025, a sense of sorrow and unease hangs over the resources-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that has seen at least 21 people killed by Islamic State group-linked ADF rebels during the Christmas week.
In a series of brutal attacks over the past week, ADF rebels reportedly killed at least 21 people near Manguredjipa, a town known for its rich mineral resources located in the conflict-riven eastern DRC. ADF fighters attacked the village of Robinet, killing six individuals, followed the next day by an onslaught on the neighboring village of Kodjo, resulting in 12 more deaths. On Christmas Day, three more victims were reported in the village of Makele. The dates, locations and tolls of these attacks were confirmed to media by multiple separate local sources.
The ADF, originally from Uganda and active in the DRC’s restive north-east, where its fighters have killed thousands of civilians since the mid-1990s, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019. The IS touts the ADF as its Islamic State Central Africa Province and claims responsibility for some of the rebel group’s attacks. Despite a joint military operation jointly launched by the DRC and Uganda in late 2021, the offensive has so far proven unsuccessful, as the attacks by the ADF rebels have continued unabated. The region remains volatile, with ongoing conflicts involving various armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 movement. The escalating conflict between the DRC army and the M23 has only intensified in recent months, further plunging the region into a state of fear and uncertainty.