Amnesty International: ISIL-Linked Rebel Group Commits War Crimes in Congo

Amnesty International on April 7 released a report accusing the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group of war crimes and crimes against humanity in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The report, titled “I Have Never Seen So Many Dead Bodies: War Crimes by the Allied Democratic Forces in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo,” details killings, kidnappings, forced labor and marriage, sexual abuse of women and girls, and exploitation of children.

The ADF has waged a multiyear military campaign against the central government in Kinshasa and pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (ISIL) in 2019.

“People in eastern DRC have suffered widespread brutality at the hands of ADF fighters. They have been killed, kidnapped, and tortured in a campaign of inhumane abuse,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Callamard stressed: “The ADF’s violence is contributing to a worsening humanitarian crisis… These abuses constitute war crimes that the world cannot continue to ignore.”

The ADF operates mainly in eastern DRC near the Ugandan border, and for years has clashed with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) and the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO.

Repeated ADF attacks have caused mass displacement in some areas of the DRC, limiting people’s access to health care, food, and education.

The insurgency of the Rwandan-backed March 23 Movement (M23) has further worsened the situation for civilians in the region. Meanwhile, the ADF exploits the international and domestic focus on these attacks to intensify its own military campaign in eastern DRC.

Amnesty interviewed 71 people, including survivors of ADF attacks, humanitarian workers, and police, as part of research in North Kivu province, eastern DRC – where the violence is most severe.

In a notorious attack on the village of Ntoyo in September 2025, ADF fighters allegedly disguised themselves as mourners and used hammers, machetes, guns, and axes to kill more than 60 people at a funeral.

Another attack two months later in the nearby village of Byambwe killed at least 17 civilians, with four hospital wards set on fire. A survivor recounted that the fighters “shot anything that moved” at the church-run health facility.

Amnesty also documented cases of five women and two girls being forced to marry ADF fighters. According to testimony, rebel group members received “wives” as a combat incentive to fight the government. Under threat of death, victims were forced to convert to Islam and subjected to sexual and physical violence. Some women were forced to watch others killed for disobeying the group’s orders.

Amnesty recorded 46 kidnappings, where hostages were held for ransom, tortured, sexually assaulted, forced to work, or killed. Some were forced to carry heavy loads for days, beaten, and given very little food throughout the ordeal.

“They taught us how to kill with weapons and blades. In the forest, you must do what you’re told. You can’t be weak,” a woman who escaped after two years told Amnesty.

Amnesty called on DRC authorities to do more to protect civilians and urged the government to cooperate with the UN and local communities to improve early warning systems and rapid responses to attacks.

Witnesses said security forces sometimes arrived at ADF attack scenes too late or not at all. Peace and reintegration programs are also essential to help survivors and communities overcome trauma.

“The Congolese government must take stronger action to ensure civilian safety,” Callamard warned, adding that ignoring the ADF threat will undermine security and human rights in the country.

“The international community must steadfastly support the Congolese state in improving civilian protection efforts, ensuring justice, and providing long-term, sustainable support for victims and survivors.”