30 killed in clashes in central Democratic Republic of Congo

About 30 civilians have been killed in a massacre in an area of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has been shaken by violence since 2014, the army said on Sunday.

Suspected rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a partly ISIS armed group of Ugandan origin, killed ‘about 30 people’ in the town of Beni during the night, army spokesman Mak Azuray told AFP. ‘We have just found their bodies.’

Beni lies in North Kivu, a province that has seen a long spate of attacks blamed on the ADF. The Beni area in particular has seen numerous massacres since October 2014, including 16 villagers hacked to death in their village in May.

Based in eastern DRC for more 20 years, the ADF has been accused of copious human rights abuses and is thought to be deeply embroiled in criminal networks funded by kidnappings, smuggling and logging.

Dozens of armed groups are active in North Kivu, where government troops have also been accused of preying on the civilian population.