Conflict analysts have suggested that Islamic state militants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been able to operate with increasing impunity due to the conflict with the allegedly Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Earlier this year M23 made significant gains against government forces, even taking the city of Goma. The DRC claims that M23 is a front for the Rwandan government, which it says wants to annex some of its mineral rich eastern territories.
For its part, Rwanda has accused the DRC of harbouring criminals responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Last month both countries agreed a peace deal which is in the early stages of implementation.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data group (ACLED), the conflict has taken resources away from efforts to fight the Islamic State in the region, which goes by the name of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
In February the group, taking advantage of the conflict with M23, launched an attack on a church in Lubero that resulted in the deaths of 70 Christians.
ACLED claims that in the first quarter of 2025, ADF attacks killed 68 per cent more people than in the previous three-month period.
According to ACLED at least 450 civilians were killed by ADF, making it the second deadliest quarter since ACLED started keeping records on ADF in 1997.
International Christian Concern (ICC) believes the ADF was able to operate more freely due to the winding down of the UN’s peacekeeping force in the country.
ICC hopes that the DRC-Rwanda peace deal will hold and that its full implementation will allow greater action to be taken against the ADF.
The organisation said, “Should the recent deal reduce the M23’s effectiveness, regional security forces may be able to devote more attention to the ADF. In the meantime, however, the ADF seems poised to continue its radical Islamist campaign against the DRC’s Christian-majority population.”
