In this Regional Overview
DRC: Civilian deaths from targeted attacks by the ADF spike in North Kivu
Burkina Faso: Heavy military losses lead to suspicions of a potential coup
Kenya: Rising grassroots anti-tax demonstrations against the 2024 Finance Bill
Nigeria: Violence surges in Niger state
South Sudan: Deadly violence rises in Nyirol county, Jonglei State
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Civilian deaths from targeted attacks by the ADF spike in North Kivu
In June, attacks on civilians by the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) escalated in North Kivu province. The number of reported fatalities resulting from targeted attacks on civilians increased by more than five times compared to the previous month. The violence prompted concern from the African Union, which called on the Congolese authorities and neighboring states to take action against the escalation.1 ACLED records 10 ADF attacks against civilians that each resulted in more than 10 reported fatalities. Several cases involved people being tied up and executed. Two incidents in Beni territory alone accounted for 84 deaths — almost 40% of the more than 220 fatalities perpetrated by the group in June. The military response to this insecurity has forced the ADF to operate in smaller groups,2 but it may also be pushing the ADF southward. Last month, ACLED records the ADF involved in violence in places that indicate the group is expanding southward in North Kivu, likely capitalizing on the military focus on the M23 conflict. Despite the attention on M23, the ADF remains the most deadly armed group for civilians in the DRC.