ISIL-affiliated rebel fighters blamed after 38 killed in DR Congo attack
Al JazeeraJun 21
DR Congo: Dozens Killed in Suspected Islamist Rebel Attack
Above: Congolese Army Soldiers and UN troops inspect an ambush site where ADF fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles in Kilya, Rwenzori Sector, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Image copyright: Brent Stirton/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
At least 42 people were killed in an overnight attack by rebels with suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) group in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local authorities said on Thursday.
The regional administrator, Alain Kiwewa Mitela, blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an IS affiliate, for the attack on the village of Mayikengo in the Lubero region of eastern North Kivu province.
The Spin
Narrative A
The latest ADF attack is a grim reminder that eastern DRC is facing one of the world's most serious, complex, and neglected conflicts. Joint military operations by Ugandan and Congolese forces against the ADF rebels have so far been unable to stop the attacks on civilians, while the Rwandan-backed M23 is also causing more violence. Now is the time for the international community to finally back the Congolese in their fight against the insurgents.
Narrative B
The government in Kinshasa bears the primary responsibility for the latest tragic ADF attack. Instead of imposing a cease-fire with the support of the East African Regional Force to initiate a political process and address the conflict's root causes, the DRC is relying on the military card. The escalating conflict affects not only eastern DRC but also Rwanda and other neighboring countries. Kinshasa has failed, and the local population is paying a terrible price.