60% Of ADF Rebels Are Congolese Nationals

GOMA, DR Congo

The Congolese Military has said that the largest percentage of the Allied Democratic Front (ADF) Islamist Rebels are Congolese nationals.

For the past seven years, the Beni region in the Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered deadly attacks by the ADF rebels usually considered as Ugandan rebels.

In a press conference in the city of Goma on Tuesday, June 29, Ndima Constant the Military Governor indicated that 60% of the ADF is mainly made up of Congolese.

According to his assessment, Congolese nationals in this rebel outfit are responsible for providing intelligence and information to these rebels.

He acknowledged that this fact sometimes makes it difficult for the FARDC engaged in the hunt for these outlaws.

“We have our compatriots in there, at 60%, and the victims are our moms, our dads, our own children, our daughters. We are joining forces with foreigners against our population, ” Lt. Gen. Constant Ndima the Military Governor said.

It should be noted that the ADF rebels are responsible for several abuses against civilians in this part of the country. A situation which has led to the displacement of a large part of the population.

President Felix Tshisekedi On May 6th, ordered an immediate enforcement of Martial Law in two conflict-ridden provinces of the vast mineral rich country.

Government Spokesperson said this was aimed at “swiftly ending the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens on a daily basis.”

This meant the military effectively took over from civilian authorities in North Kivu and Ituri for an initial period of 30 days.

North Kivu’s governor, Lt. Gen. Constant Ndima, better known as “Effacer le Tableau” (“erase the board”), earned his nickname from an operation he allegedly led as a rebel commander with the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) in Ituri province in 2002.

In Ituri, Lt. Gen. Johnny Luboya, a former rebel chief of military intelligence with the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD-Goma).

Critics observe that the two major military operations launched in North Kivu and Ituri provinces since President Felix Tshisekedi took office in 2019 have not addressed the regions’ multilayered complexities.

On the contrary, violence has since escalated, and the number of internally displaced people is at a record high. The rampant impunity for abuses by both rebel groups and national forces continues to drive conflict.