[ad_1]
On Tuesday, August 13, 2024, the Congolese army arrested 31 people in Beni, North Kivu province. Among those arrested were several foreign fighters linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan rebel group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The suspects, mainly from Tanzania and Kenya, were accused of planning a bomb attack in the town of Beni.
Congolese military authorities have revealed the identities of some of these fighters. Abdullah Rashid, a Tanzanian, is accused of involvement in multiple massacres and kidnappings west of the city of Oicha. Another Tanzanian, Emmanuel Sanga, alias Benito, was captured at a checkpoint at the entrance to Beni on the road to the Ugandan border. Ramadan Saidi Abdallah Mbweni, also a Tanzanian, was allegedly recruited in South Africa to oversee a network of bombers in Beni. As for Hassim Ramadan, a former Kenyan armed robber, he was arrested near Beni airport.
According to the United Nations, the ADF is the deadliest armed group in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2023. They have killed more than 1,000 people, mostly civilians. These arrests come as the ADF has stepped up its attacks on urban centers in response to Operation Shuja, a joint military operation by Congolese and Ugandan forces to suppress them.
Despite these efforts, the Australian Defence Force continues to expand its influence, particularly in Ituri Province, due to its partnership with certain local businessmen. Combating the group remains a major challenge for the Congolese authorities, who must not only combat local armed elements but also dismantle the logistical and financial support networks that allow these insurgents to continue their destabilizing activities.
[ad_2]
Source link
