At least 43 civilians were brutally killed last weekend in Komanda, located in the Ituri province of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as armed attackers from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) stormed the Bienheureuse-Anuarite parish, wielding bladed weapons against churchgoers and local residents.
Exiled opposition leader Moïse Katumbi has vehemently condemned the massacre, accusing the Kinshasa government of turning a blind eye to the escalating violence in the region.
Writing on social media platform X on Monday, Katumbi said, “Too much blood has been shed amidst the total indifference of the Kinshasa regime.”
He warned that the massacre laid bare the state’s complete absence in areas that remain nominally under its control, especially in eastern DRC.
“Was this state of affairs not deplored by the Ituri provincial authorities recently? It is time to put an end to the atrocities and restore state authority in this part of the Republic… These massacres reveal, once again, the total absence of Kinshasa’s power in the area under its control,” Katumbi said.
The former governor of Greater Katanga also criticized the national government for its apparent inaction while armed groups continue to terrorize Ituri, accusing the authorities of prioritizing their hold on power “for illicit and selfish ends.”
Meanwhile, the Catholic Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) issued a strong condemnation of the attack, calling it “odious and despicable.” CENCO questioned the security forces’ ability to identify and stop the perpetrators in a province already under siege. The church organization urged that the ADF be formally designated as a terrorist group responsible for the ongoing violence in eastern DRC and demanded this be prioritized in ongoing peace initiatives.
This massacre occurs amid a joint military operation named “Shujaa,” involving the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPDF), aimed at dismantling the ADF insurgency. Launched nearly four years ago, the operation has reportedly succeeded in targeting some ADF leaders and fighters. However, according to the latest United Nations Group of Experts report, the campaign has failed to halt ADF attacks on civilians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
UN experts noted that despite an increased Ugandan troop presence in southern Lubero territory, key ADF cells remain active in northwest Lubero, eastern Beni territory, and Irumu, taking advantage of FARDC’s diminished presence focused elsewhere.
As violence continues to engulf eastern DRC, questions mount over the effectiveness of Kinshasa’s security strategy and the true extent of state authority in the region.
About The Author
