Ntoyo massacre

Ntoyo massacre
Part of the Kivu conflict and the ADF insurgency
Ntoyo
Ntoyo (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Location of Ntoyo within the North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Native nameMassacre de Ntoyo
Location0°21′36.8″N 28°45′24.57″E / 0.360222°N 28.7568250°E / 0.360222; 28.7568250
Ntoyo, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Date8 September 2025
9:00 p.m. CAT (UTC+02:00)
TargetFuneral wake
Attack type
Mass murder, mass shooting, massacre
WeaponsLight arms, machetes
Deaths60+ civilians
Perpetrator

The Ntoyo massacre occurred on 8 September 2025, when ISIL-affiliated Allied Democratic Force (ADF-Buluku) rebels attacked a wake in Ntoyo, Bapere sector, Lubero territory in the North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attack occurred late at night, during which ADF rebels targeted a funeral wake. Initial reporting the day of the attack estimated over 60-61 deaths but authorities later reported 71 total deaths.[1][2][3][4]

Background

Main articles: Allied Democratic Forces and Operation Shujaa

Following the radicalization of its founding leader, Jamil Mukulu, the ADF was formed as a merger of several rebel groups (initially called ADF/NALU) in 1995. The ADF initially operated in western Uganda but has since, and currently continues, to operate solely in the eastern DRC; this includes the North Kivu and Ituri Provinces.

The ADF's leadership shifted after the imprisonment of Mukulu on 30 April 2015. Musa Seka Baluku, Mukulu's second-in-command since the group's formation, stepped forward in his place shortly after. Under Baluku's leadership, the group made contact with the IS as early as 2017, were formally recognized as a chapter of Islamic State–Central Africa Province (IS-CAP) in 2018, and formally pledged their allegiance to the IS in 2019. By that year, the ADF had split, with one part remaining loyal to Mukulu and the other to Baluku; they renewed their allegiance in April 2022.[5]

In response to growing causalities at the hands of the ADF, the Congolese and Ugandan armed forces created a joint military force called Operation Shujaa in November 2021. The Operation's already mixed perception, due to views of Uganda's role in the Second Congo War, was further put into question regarding its effectiveness in actually preventing ADF attacks. According to BBC Monitoring, 90% of the IS' operations were carried out in Africa by September,[6] of which the ADF committed the second-highest number of civilian killings by a non-state actors globally in 2025, according to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED).[7]

Motives

The motive for the attack is ultimately unclear, but is believed to stem from retaliatory efforts in response to the escalated bombing campaign led by Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) in their joint Operation Shujaa.[8][9]

Context

Ntoyo was home to approximately 2,500 people at the time of the attack.[3]

Attack

Many civilians were gathered in attendance on a funeral in the town of Ntoyo.

An estimated 10 ADF attackers stormed the funeral wake on the night of 8 September around 9:00 a.m. CAT (UTC+2), catching attendees off guard.[2][4] Attendees noted that militants wearing what seemed like military uniforms.[3] They rounded up civilians and summarily executed them with machetes and light arms.[2]

After the primary attack, rebels burned down approximately 30 homes and vehicles, burning individuals alive inside.[3][4]

Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC) spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo stated that the ADF militant perpetrators had fled the scene before the FARDC could intervene.[4]

A separate attack by the ADF occurred in an adjacent town, killing 18.[4]

The ADF claimed responsibility for the attack and claimed that they had killed nearly 100 Christians.[4]

Reaction and response

Many residents were seen leaving Ntoyo as early as the morning of 9 September.[4] Ntoyo was mostly deserted by 10 September. Residents blamed government inaction.[3] 25 of those killed in the attack were buried on Wednesday.[10]

Religious institutions

Military, governments, and intergovernmental organizations

France's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack on 11 September 2025, sent condolences, and called for peace in the Great Lakes region.[11]

Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC for the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Bruno Lemarquis, stated in a press release on 10 January that he was "deeply shocked by the brutality of these attacks against civilians," reminded that "civilians are not targets," and urged that protections of civilians under international humanitarian law (IHL) was an "absolute [obligation]."[12]

The African Union's (AU) Chairperson, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, published a press release[a] expressing a "deep shock" upon learning of the attack. He "strongly condemn[ed] this heinous [terrorist] attack, as well as the recurrent violence that continues to target civilians in eastern DRC." Youssouf mentioned that the attack violated IHL and called for the attackers to be found and held accountable "in order to put an end to the prevailing climate of impunity that fuels the recurrence of these atrocities. The text concludes by reaffirming the AU's commitment to "restoring peace, security and stability in the Great Lakes region."[13]

Notes

  1. ^ The African Union's press release was headed as an "Information & Communication Directorate." It was, however, not assigned a formal press release number identifier. It was published from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where its headquarters are located.

References

  1. ^ Ali, Faisal. "At least 60 people killed in DRC after ISIL-linked attack on funeral". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  2. ^ a b c "ISIS-linked militia kills 60 in machete attack on funeral in Eastern Congo, local officials say - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e "DR Congo survivors of IS-linked massacre say army, govt let them down". RFI. 2025-09-11. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Rebels linked to Islamic State kill at least 61 at east Congo funeral". Reuters. 2025-09-09. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  5. ^ Caleb Weiss; Ryan O'Farrell (6 April 2022). "ADF renews pledge of allegiance to new Islamic State leader". Long War Journal. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  6. ^ Chothia, Farouk (9 September 2025). "Dozens of DR Congo mourners killed in attack linked to jihadist group". BBC. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  7. ^ Carboni, Andrea; Murillo, Ciro (11 December 2025). What's driving conflict today? A review of global trends (Report). Retrieved 25 February 2026.
  8. ^ "Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo". AP News. 2025-07-12. Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  9. ^ KAKULE, Job (2025-07-28). "Ituri : Enterrement collectif de 24 victimes parmi les 38 civils tués par les ADF à Komanda". www.grandslacsnews.com (in French). Retrieved 2025-07-31.
  10. ^ AFP, AFP (2025-09-10). "Victims buried after IS-linked attack in DR Congo". NCWLIFE News. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  11. ^ étrangères, Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires. "Democratic Republic of the Congo – Attacks on civilians (11.09.25)". France Diplomacy - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
  12. ^ "The Humanitarian Coordinator in the DRC condemns deadly attacks against civilians in North Kivu" (Press release). United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
  13. ^ "AU Condemns Atrocities Against Civilians in North Kivu Province" (PDF) (Press release). African Union. 10 September 2025. Retrieved 11 September 2025.


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