Description: More than 40 civilians have been killed in the city of Komanda within the Ituri province in eastern DRC while attending a mass in the city’s catholic church. The attacks were perpetrated by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a regional offshoot organization of the Islamic State terrorist group, that maintains operational presence in Uganda and eastern DRC. ADF launched a surprise attack on the church with automatic rifles and machetes, with the regional security forces struggling to isolate and neutralize the members of the terrorist group. The attack significantly aggravates the security situation in the region, where the DRC military has struggled against the M23 alliance of rebel groups.
Impact: Terrorist activities have substantially escalated since the DRC and Rwanda signed the long-awaited peace agreement under US and Qatari mediation. In recent weeks, attacks from ADF in the Ituri province have left more than one hundred civilians dead and considerably destabilized the already fragile security situation in the eastern parts of the country. The peace agreement between Rwanda and the DRC could potentially be negatively affected by the renewed cycle of armed violence in the region which diminishes conditions for the stable implementation of the provisions within the agreement. DRC remains substantially destabilized and currently unable to contain or counter terrorist activities in the region. The country’s security situation is still volatile and under risk of escalating with potential involvement from the numerous armed militant groups which are yet to be presented with concrete and concise mechanisms of disarmament as part of the wider comprehensive peace agreement.