MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Georgette Ndovya Kavugho, 32, was attacked by members of the A.D.F Islamist group in her home on the 16th of November 2019. They struck her with machetes, leaving deep cuts in the flesh of her arms and back, eventually leaving her for dead as they continued to ransack her village. 13 people died that night, and many others were abducted. “At around 1am I heard a woman’s voice shout, “break down that door,” said Georgette, “it was because one of my young children cried out in fear that they knew we were there. When asked why the ADF did this to her, Georgette says she has no idea. She lost the use of her right arm in the attack and shortly after, her husband left her, saying she was useless. He left her with 8 children to care for. She is trying to save money for a sewing machine with pedals so she can make a living for them. For Georgette and her children, one of the worst things is that ADF has stepped up their attacks against civilians recently and they remain as vulnerable as ever. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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BENI REGION, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, LATE 2020: This image is from a captured ADF fighters phone. It is suspected to have been taken after the ADF attacked Beni prison and two FARDC Congolese Army bases on the same day, freeing prisoners and capturing weapons and munitions. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Two recently detained ADF fighters who are seen in disguise to protect their identity while they collaborate with the Congolese Army FARDC. The man on the left is Kasereka Mwinid Omar, 19, who was converted to Islam in Beni prison and radicalized. He joined ADF when he was released and become the aid to the ADF leader Musa Baluku. He cooked for Baluku and helped to move money to ADF volunteers outside of DR Congo. He was privy to many of Balukus conversations on his sattelite phone and says that Baluku spoke mainly in Arabic and claimed to be speaking to people in Somalia, Mozambique and Afghanistan. Kasereka claims that he was taught military tactics by a Somali man who came to his camp in the forest. Another Somali man taught IED skills to more senior recruits. Kasereka says many foreign fighters came to the camps, including Nigerians, Mozambicans and Somalis. They often brought “sacks of money USD.” These fighters were treated as elites and given wives if they wanted them. Musa Baluku is said to be number 2 in ISCAP, the province so called by the Islamic State which includes both DR Congo and Mozambique. The man on the right is Palu Regan, 22, a muslim who joined ADF 3 years prior. Both men have participated on attack on the Congolese army and Mai Mai groups as well as attacks on civilians. The ADF attacks on civilians are charaterized by extreme violence and beheadings. Musa Baluku justifies this in the name of the true Islam. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

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KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: A Congolese man who is a suspected collaborator with Islamic terror group, the ADF, is seen under arrest in a vehicle on his way to interrogation by the Congolese army. He was named by two recently captured ADF fighters as a collaborator with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. The ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

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BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

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MWENDA TOWN, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: One of the ways people in this region learn about ADF attacks is via social media, part of the reason the ADF has been so effective as a terror group. Most people have seen the images of their ruthless attachs on their phones. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces practise a mortar drill in one of their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese army major points out the routes ADF have used to come up and attack the village of Mwenda. Congolese army forces now have forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese Army major instructs one of his men in his concealed position in a tree watching over pathways ADF have used to attack the town of Mwenda. Congolese army forces now have forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Bwambale Buwake Karibu, a young man from Uganda who authorities at Kangbayi Prison believe is a suspected ADF member. He was arrested in 2019 and displays signs of P.T.S.D. Many young male foreigners who are arrested in this region are often linked to the ADF without sufficient proof. ADF attacked this prison in late 2020 and freed over 1200 prisoners, of those, they recruited over 250 muslims for their cause. A large number of Christians were marched into the forest and killed at that time. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Masika Mariete, 27, is a young woman who was abducted by the ADF on the 28th of December 2020. She woke up to gunfire and the sound of people yelling “Allah Akbar” in her hometown of Loselose. The ADF rebel attackers threw her in with a group of captives along with her child. The rebels then went house to house looting. The rebels made Masika and the other captives carry the goods up to the nearby Government military base. The base had already been overrun, deserted by the Congolese army. The rebels made Masika and the other captives watch as they set the camp ablaze. The rebels then released the captive children, including Masika’s, under the supervision of another woman from the village, and told them to leave. After returning to Loselose with the rest of the captives, the ADF fighters set about preparing food, apparently waiting for others to join them. Soon after, another group of rebels appeared out of the bush, taking command of the captives and marching them into Virunga National Park, the latest victims of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Islamic State affiliate in D.R Congo. Masika’s child was dead by the time she managed to escape two months later. She is no longer welcome at home, even though she was abducted. Masika is pregnant from repeated rape in the ADF camp. Local feeling against the ADF is deadly and her life may be in danger if she trys to return to Loselose, her unborn child is a factor in this. She is seen with another woman, Cecelia Mutwayo, who was also abducted and abused. She faces the same difficulty in returning home. These women were both forced to convert to Islam and lived in fear of being married off to a foreign fighter. They managed to escape while gathering food in the evening. Both these women are now in the hands of the Congolese army, they live in a prison-like situation, regularly forced to spend time with captured ADF fighters and FARDC soldiers, making them extr

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MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Florence Kikuluba Masika, 17, witnessed her grandfather, mother and father hacked to death by Islamic fundamentalist rebels the ADF. They abducted her for 4 months before she escaped. They also took her two brothers, one of whom is still missing. Florence was a victim of repeated sexual violence and the night before she was forced to marry the man who killed her father, she and one other girl managed to escape into the night, making their way back to their village over the next two days. “On the night they came, they told my mother to hold out her hand so they could cut it off, she refused and so they killed her and my father as well as my grandfather in front of us. They took us to the next house and did the same things there, they killed many people. They took us into the bush to their camp, all the women were separated from the men. They made us Muslims, gave us Muslim names and told us we were to be wives. I kept refusing every day but I could not and then I was just silent. I was then told I would be married to the man who killed my father. He was named Boas and he was wounded in the mouth. He was Ugandan, not Congolese. We were told that if we did not accept our husband, we would not get food. They gave my elder brother one goat as dowry for me. After I escaped, it has not been okay. My aunt is asking me why I cry when I am sleeping. There were women in the camp who came from my own village, but they have changed. They wear clothing that covers everything but their eyes and mouth so that men cannot see them. They have guns. They said they had been kidnapped and their parents killed but now they like it in the camp. One of them said that she has been back to her village 3 times. She said she wants to go back and convince them to come into the bush and convert, if they refuse she says she will kill them.” The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has develo

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BENI, DR CONGO, 3 APRIL 2021: Omar Kavota is a lawyer and activist for human rights and peace monitoring ngo CEPADHO in North Kivu. He was amongt the first to state the the ADF Islamic terror group was connected to Islamic State. “We have seen the history of ADF in the region, they were always a militant islamic group from Uganda. Under their former leader Jamil Makulu they become more radicalized, he was a stated disciple of Bin Laden. We saw how they shifted from Ugandan only ambitions to more global ambitions. We have heard from their captors that escaped, defectors who have come in that they have global jihadist ambitions like their Somali compatriats Al-Shabaab. In 2014 they escelated their campaign, taking 994 civilians. Amongst them were doctors and priests and MSF workers. Many escaped and their testemony paints a clear picture of the need for conversion to Islam in the camps and Shariah law. When Musa Baluku took over in 2015, his priority was to terrorize the civilian population. When the Congolese army attacked them, the ADF stepped up their campaing with increased brutality and many beheadings. We see a clear connection to the Islamic State in these actions. They have even made this clear in the flyers they distribute and their messaging for recruitment.“ (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Georgette Ndovya Kavugho, 32, was attacked by members of the A.D.F Islamist group in her home on the 16th of November 2019. They struck her with machetes, leaving deep cuts in the flesh of her
BENI REGION, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, LATE 2020: This image is from a captured ADF fighters phone. It is suspected to have been taken after the ADF attacked Beni prison and two FARDC Congolese Army bases on the same day, freeing pri
KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Two recently detained ADF fighters who are seen in disguise to protect their identity while they collaborate with the Congolese Army FARDC. The man on the left is Kasereka Mwinid Omar, 19, who was
KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: A Congolese man who is a suspected collaborator with Islamic terror group, the ADF, is seen under arrest in a vehicle on his way to interrogation by the Congolese army. He was named by two recentl
BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF.
MWENDA TOWN, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: One of the ways people in this region learn about ADF attacks is via social media, part of the reason the ADF has been so effective as a terror group. Most people have seen the ima
BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF.
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MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Pa
MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Pa
MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces practise a mortar drill in one of their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close
MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese army major points out the routes ADF have used to come up and attack the village of Mwenda. Congolese army forces now have forward operating bases around Mwenda, a
MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese Army major instructs one of his men in his concealed position in a tree watching over pathways ADF have used to attack the town of Mwenda. Congolese army forces no
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KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan bord
BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Bwambale Buwake Karibu, a young man from Uganda who authorities at Kangbayi Prison believe is a suspected ADF member. He was arrested in 2019 and displays signs of P.T.S.D. Many young male foreigne
BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Masika Mariete, 27, is a young woman who was abducted by the ADF on the 28th of December 2020. She woke up to gunfire and the sound of people yelling “Allah Akbar” in her hometown of Loselose. The A
MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Florence Kikuluba Masika, 17, witnessed her grandfather, mother and father hacked to death by Islamic fundamentalist rebels the ADF. They abducted her for 4 months before she escaped. They als
BENI, DR CONGO, 3 APRIL 2021: Omar Kavota is a lawyer and activist for human rights and peace monitoring ngo CEPADHO in North Kivu. He was amongt the first to state the the ADF Islamic terror group was connected to Islamic State. “We have seen the

MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Georgette Ndovya Kavugho, 32, was attacked by members of the A.D.F Islamist group in her home on the 16th of November 2019. They struck her with machetes, leaving deep cuts in the flesh of her arms and back, eventually leaving her for dead as they continued to ransack her village. 13 people died that night, and many others were abducted. “At around 1am I heard a woman’s voice shout, “break down that door,” said Georgette, “it was because one of my young children cried out in fear that they knew we were there. When asked why the ADF did this to her, Georgette says she has no idea. She lost the use of her right arm in the attack and shortly after, her husband left her, saying she was useless. He left her with 8 children to care for. She is trying to save money for a sewing machine with pedals so she can make a living for them. For Georgette and her children, one of the worst things is that ADF has stepped up their attacks against civilians recently and they remain as vulnerable as ever. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

BENI REGION, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, LATE 2020: This image is from a captured ADF fighters phone. It is suspected to have been taken after the ADF attacked Beni prison and two FARDC Congolese Army bases on the same day, freeing prisoners and capturing weapons and munitions. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Two recently detained ADF fighters who are seen in disguise to protect their identity while they collaborate with the Congolese Army FARDC. The man on the left is Kasereka Mwinid Omar, 19, who was converted to Islam in Beni prison and radicalized. He joined ADF when he was released and become the aid to the ADF leader Musa Baluku. He cooked for Baluku and helped to move money to ADF volunteers outside of DR Congo. He was privy to many of Balukus conversations on his sattelite phone and says that Baluku spoke mainly in Arabic and claimed to be speaking to people in Somalia, Mozambique and Afghanistan. Kasereka claims that he was taught military tactics by a Somali man who came to his camp in the forest. Another Somali man taught IED skills to more senior recruits. Kasereka says many foreign fighters came to the camps, including Nigerians, Mozambicans and Somalis. They often brought “sacks of money USD.” These fighters were treated as elites and given wives if they wanted them. Musa Baluku is said to be number 2 in ISCAP, the province so called by the Islamic State which includes both DR Congo and Mozambique. The man on the right is Palu Regan, 22, a muslim who joined ADF 3 years prior. Both men have participated on attack on the Congolese army and Mai Mai groups as well as attacks on civilians. The ADF attacks on civilians are charaterized by extreme violence and beheadings. Musa Baluku justifies this in the name of the true Islam. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

KASINDI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: A Congolese man who is a suspected collaborator with Islamic terror group, the ADF, is seen under arrest in a vehicle on his way to interrogation by the Congolese army. He was named by two recently captured ADF fighters as a collaborator with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. The ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

MWENDA TOWN, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: One of the ways people in this region learn about ADF attacks is via social media, part of the reason the ADF has been so effective as a terror group. Most people have seen the images of their ruthless attachs on their phones. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 4 APRIL 2021: Five suspected collaborators with Islamic terror group, the ADF, are brought in for interogation by the Congolese army. They were named by two recently captured ADF fighters as working with the ADF. The ADF is an islamic terror group that in recent years have developed a relationship with the Islamic state and are one part of the so called province of ISCAP, Mozambique’s “Al-Sunnah Wal Jamaa” is the other. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces are seen in their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: Congolese army forces practise a mortar drill in one of their forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese army major points out the routes ADF have used to come up and attack the village of Mwenda. Congolese army forces now have forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

MWENDA SURROUNDS, NORTH KIVU, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 7 APRIL 2021: A Congolese Army major instructs one of his men in his concealed position in a tree watching over pathways ADF have used to attack the town of Mwenda. Congolese army forces now have forward operating bases around Mwenda, a small town that sits at the foot of the Rwenzori mountains. It is close to Virunga National Park where a camp of ADF members live and hide. This town has been attacked multiple times by the ADF, with many civilians killed and some beheaded. A number of people including children have been abducted. As a result the Congolese army has a number of forward operating bases dotted around the area. The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The ADF are one half of ISCAP, the so-called ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other half. ADF have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

KILYA, RWENZORI SECTOR, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 9 APRIL 2021: Congolese Army soldiers and UN forces inspect an ambush site where an hour previously A.D.F fundamentalist rebels attacked two vehicles on the road between Beni and the Ugandan border town of Kasindi. A.D.F killed three civilians in the vehicles, assassinating them with shots to the head outside of their vehicles, there was also evidence of cuts from machetes. The Malawian contingent of the UN’s MONUSCO force arrived on scene as the ambush was ending and the vehicles were being set on fire. They engaged a large force of A.D.F fighters, killing one of them. That fighter was stripped of his uniform by other ADF fighters during the firefight, they then fled into the jungle. The purpose of the A.D.F’s attacks is to spread terror amongst the civilian population. There have been multiple attacks across the province by A.D.F, all characterized by brutality and on occasion, beheadings. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Bwambale Buwake Karibu, a young man from Uganda who authorities at Kangbayi Prison believe is a suspected ADF member. He was arrested in 2019 and displays signs of P.T.S.D. Many young male foreigners who are arrested in this region are often linked to the ADF without sufficient proof. ADF attacked this prison in late 2020 and freed over 1200 prisoners, of those, they recruited over 250 muslims for their cause. A large number of Christians were marched into the forest and killed at that time. The A.D.F is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has developed a relationship with the Islamic State after pledging allegiance to ISIS leadership. They are known locally as ISIS in Congo. The A.D.F are one part of ISCAP, the ISIS province for Central Africa, Mozambique is the other part. A.D.F have killed over 5000 Congolese civilians in recent years, abducted and displaced thousands and killed over 2500 Congolese army soldiers. (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 15 APRIL 2021: Masika Mariete, 27, is a young woman who was abducted by the ADF on the 28th of December 2020. She woke up to gunfire and the sound of people yelling “Allah Akbar” in her hometown of Loselose. The ADF rebel attackers threw her in with a group of captives along with her child. The rebels then went house to house looting. The rebels made Masika and the other captives carry the goods up to the nearby Government military base. The base had already been overrun, deserted by the Congolese army. The rebels made Masika and the other captives watch as they set the camp ablaze. The rebels then released the captive children, including Masika’s, under the supervision of another woman from the village, and told them to leave. After returning to Loselose with the rest of the captives, the ADF fighters set about preparing food, apparently waiting for others to join them. Soon after, another group of rebels appeared out of the bush, taking command of the captives and marching them into Virunga National Park, the latest victims of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), the Islamic State affiliate in D.R Congo. Masika’s child was dead by the time she managed to escape two months later. She is no longer welcome at home, even though she was abducted. Masika is pregnant from repeated rape in the ADF camp. Local feeling against the ADF is deadly and her life may be in danger if she trys to return to Loselose, her unborn child is a factor in this. She is seen with another woman, Cecelia Mutwayo, who was also abducted and abused. She faces the same difficulty in returning home. These women were both forced to convert to Islam and lived in fear of being married off to a foreign fighter. They managed to escape while gathering food in the evening. Both these women are now in the hands of the Congolese army, they live in a prison-like situation, regularly forced to spend time with captured ADF fighters and FARDC soldiers, making them extr

MBAOU, BENI, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 APRIL 2021: Florence Kikuluba Masika, 17, witnessed her grandfather, mother and father hacked to death by Islamic fundamentalist rebels the ADF. They abducted her for 4 months before she escaped. They also took her two brothers, one of whom is still missing. Florence was a victim of repeated sexual violence and the night before she was forced to marry the man who killed her father, she and one other girl managed to escape into the night, making their way back to their village over the next two days. “On the night they came, they told my mother to hold out her hand so they could cut it off, she refused and so they killed her and my father as well as my grandfather in front of us. They took us to the next house and did the same things there, they killed many people. They took us into the bush to their camp, all the women were separated from the men. They made us Muslims, gave us Muslim names and told us we were to be wives. I kept refusing every day but I could not and then I was just silent. I was then told I would be married to the man who killed my father. He was named Boas and he was wounded in the mouth. He was Ugandan, not Congolese. We were told that if we did not accept our husband, we would not get food. They gave my elder brother one goat as dowry for me. After I escaped, it has not been okay. My aunt is asking me why I cry when I am sleeping. There were women in the camp who came from my own village, but they have changed. They wear clothing that covers everything but their eyes and mouth so that men cannot see them. They have guns. They said they had been kidnapped and their parents killed but now they like it in the camp. One of them said that she has been back to her village 3 times. She said she wants to go back and convince them to come into the bush and convert, if they refuse she says she will kill them.” The ADF is an Islamic terror group based out of Eastern DR Congo that, in recent years, has develo

BENI, DR CONGO, 3 APRIL 2021: Omar Kavota is a lawyer and activist for human rights and peace monitoring ngo CEPADHO in North Kivu. He was amongt the first to state the the ADF Islamic terror group was connected to Islamic State. “We have seen the history of ADF in the region, they were always a militant islamic group from Uganda. Under their former leader Jamil Makulu they become more radicalized, he was a stated disciple of Bin Laden. We saw how they shifted from Ugandan only ambitions to more global ambitions. We have heard from their captors that escaped, defectors who have come in that they have global jihadist ambitions like their Somali compatriats Al-Shabaab. In 2014 they escelated their campaign, taking 994 civilians. Amongst them were doctors and priests and MSF workers. Many escaped and their testemony paints a clear picture of the need for conversion to Islam in the camps and Shariah law. When Musa Baluku took over in 2015, his priority was to terrorize the civilian population. When the Congolese army attacked them, the ADF stepped up their campaing with increased brutality and many beheadings. We see a clear connection to the Islamic State in these actions. They have even made this clear in the flyers they distribute and their messaging for recruitment.“ (photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

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