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Bulongo massacre

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Bulongo massacre
Part of the Kivu conflict and the ADF insurgency
Bulongo is a town located within the Ituri province.
Bulongo is a town located within the Ituri province.
Bulongo
Bulongo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Location of Bulongo within the North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Native nameMassacre de Bulongo, Mauaji ya Bulongo
Location0°19′53.44″N 29°40′34.82″E / 0.3315111°N 29.6763389°E / 0.3315111; 29.6763389
Bulongo, Beni Territory, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date15 March 2021
~12:00–02:00 a.m. CAT (UTC+02:00)
Attack type
Mass murder and massacre
WeaponsMachetes and pickaxes
Deaths
  • 15+ civilians (in massacre)
  • 1 civilian (in protests)
Perpetrators

The Bulongo massacre (French: Massacre de Bulongo, Swahili: Mauaji ya Bulongo) occurred on 15 March 2021, when Islamic State-affiliated (IS) Allied Democratic Forces (ADF-Baluku) rebels attacked attacked the town of Bulongo [fr], Beni Territory in northeastern North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo, killing 15 people.[1] The attack occurred in the middle of the night, between approximately 12:00 and 2:00 a.m. CAT. Upwards of 15 Congolese civilians were killed.[1][2][3]

Background

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The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist rebel group that is active in northeastern DRC, declared bay'ah to the Islamic State in 2019 and officially became the Islamic State's Central Africa Province.[4] Since the merging to ISCAP, the group targeted civilians more often in deadly massacres throughout North Kivu.[5]

The town of Bulongo itself had been attacked several times by the ADF/ISCAP, killing over 70 people and kidnapping 40. In 2021, the group began slaughtering everyone above the age of 15.[5]

Massacre

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The massacre began between 12:00 and 2:00 a.m. in the Mutilipi district of the city, shortly after which the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) stated it had sent reinforcements to the area to stop the massacre.[6] ADF rebels attacked Bulongo with machetes and pickaxes, reportedly slaughtering everyone they saw.[1]

Many of the slain civilians were beheaded and their bodies were gutted. It was initially confirmed that 12 civilians were killed in the attack.[6] The death toll would later account for at least 15 civilians having been killed.[1][2][3]

Reactions and response

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The following day, locals and survivors protested against Congolese forces and MONUSCO for not preventing the attack, particularly blaming their delayed response time. Police opened fire to disperse the crowd, during which one protester was killed and another seriously injured by bullets.[3][6]

Responsibility

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The Defense Post said the Kivu Security Tracker (KST) group had initially suspected the ADF of being responsible, with local sources also blaming the ADF.[3][6] Africanews and Jamestown's Terrorism Monitor later confirmed that the attack was perpetrated by the ADF,[2][6] furthermore corroborated by the IS later claiming responsibility itself.[2]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 "At least a dozen killed in eastern DR Congo attack". Al Jazeera. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 West, Sungunta (24 May 2021). "Kenya and DRC Sign Defense Pact to Cooperate Against Islamic State". Jamestown Terrorism Monitor. 19 (10).
  3. 1 2 3 4 "15 Massacred in East DR Congo, ADF Militia Suspected". The Defense Post. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  4. ↑ "At least 20 dead in new DR Congo massacre". Africanews. 13 August 2024. Archived from the original on 9 May 2026. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  5. 1 2 Houreld, Katharine (12 August 2023). "ISIS-linked ADF inflicts genocidal massacres in DRC". Genocide Watch. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "DR Congo: At least 15 killed in attack on villagers". Africanews. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2026.
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