Cases of rebel attacks in the west and central Africa have been on the rise. These attacks have rendered most of the West African states unsafe and unsuitable for survival. Over the past months, residents have been forced to vacate their homes to live as refugees in other countries for fear of losing their lives. The escalating insurgencies have drawn international concern as Rights Group condemns the attackers and urges West African governments to act swiftly to end the rebel attacks. The Democratic Republic of Congo happens to be among the states trying to get rid of terror attacks.
The DRC Attack
On Thursday, 14th January, anonymous men attacked villagers in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The bloody attack left a tremendous impact. About 46 people died. Reports are the attack was perpetrated by elements of Uganda’s Allied Democratic Forces rebel group. Rumors are the attack targeted the chief of the Walese Vonkutu, an ethnic tribe in the North Kivu province where Congolese armed forces have been fighting ADF rebellion for over six years.
Adio Gidi, the province’s provincial interior minister, told Anadolu Agency that they were alerted before the attack. He stated that the ADF had killed several pygmies before killing the 46 civilians. A similar incident happened last week Sunday; six rangers of Virunga national park died after they were assassinated. In their case, they were on duty patrolling the park to ensure the critically endangered gorillas’ safety. The incident was unfortunate, mostly since it was history repeating itself. Therefore many men and women have lost their lives, loved ones, and homes because of the unending terror attacks.
Reactions to the Attacks
Adio Gido, the province’s interior minister, reported that they would deploy forces to the region come Friday to determine the final toll. Meanwhile, Beni, Irumu, and Mambasa territories have also become targets of ADF attacks. Past reports have revealed that the ADF is not a recent militia group. They are a rebel group originating from the northeastern side of Uganda. This group first became active in 1990.
The group has been attacking, killing civilians, and lynching homes. There has been an instance of the group also killing United Nations personnel in DRC. Moreover, earlier this month, the rebels killed 22 civilians in Beni after ambushing them. In most cases, the modus operandi these rebels employ is either shot, lynch, or cut civilians. In most cases, the insurgents target peasants returning from their errands at knife and stab them to death.
What is the Main Cause of Attacks?
West and Central Africa are the wealthiest regions in the continent. I.e., the areas are rich in fertile soils, minerals and even receive adequate rainfall. However, it is unfortunate that inhabitants of these regions conflict over these resources. Illicit exploitation of natural resources has therefore taken a toll in these areas. Most of the militia groups in these regions have set aside their political differences and picked up on resource trafficking.
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