Death Toll from ADF Attack in Mambimbi-Isigo Rises

Lubero February 10, 2026 - The death toll from the recent attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Mambimbi-Isigo, located in the Bapakombe groupement, Bapere sector, in Lubero territory (North Kivu), has risen from 15 to 21 civilians killed, with several people still reported missing. According to Kakule Kagheni Samuel, president of the local civil society in Bapere, six additional bodies were discovered on Monday, bringing the total number of victims to twenty-one. The attack occurred during the night of Friday, February 6, to Saturday, February 7, 2026. Assailants reportedly set fire to homes and destroyed property during the incursion. Initial reports had confirmed at least fifteen deaths, including two women, along with the burning of several houses. Survivors described scenes of devastation, with one witness stating he was unable to count the number of bodies encountered while fleeing. Civil society had earlier reported a provisional toll of fifteen dead and seven houses burned. The attack followed several days of reported ADF movements in the area. Residents had raised alerts about the presence of suspected rebels for more than four days prior to the assault. The security situation deteriorated rapidly, triggering mass displacement toward Njiapanda and other localities considered relatively safer. Local sources indicate that the affected village remained inaccessible until Saturday evening, delaying the burial of victims, as several bodies were still lying at the scene. The violence extends beyond Lubero. In neighboring Beni territory, six civilians were killed in an ambush on the evening of February 4, 2026, in Malibo, along the Oicha-Mamove road. The attack came just hours after another ambush on the same road that claimed four additional lives. In total, at least ten civilians were killed in one day, with several motorcycles burned during the assaults. In a report released on February 3, the North Kivu provincial civil society coordination indicated that at least 63 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the year by suspected ADF rebels in Beni and Lubero territories. Of these, 52 deaths were recorded in Lubero and 10 in Beni, making Lubero the hardest-hit area. Beyond the human toll, the attacks have caused extensive material damage, including the burning of a health post, 67 shops, and 10 houses, as well as the destruction of 23 motorcycles and a traditional “barza” used for community meetings. The repeated violence has forced thousands of families into displacement, leaving them in precarious humanitarian conditions. Ongoing insecurity continues to prevent residents from returning to several localities now classified as high-risk zones, deepening the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Faits rapportés

Lubero February 10, 2026 - The death toll from the recent attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Mambimbi-Isigo, located in the Bapakombe groupement, Bapere sector, in Lubero territory (North Kivu), has risen from 15 to 21 civilians killed, with several people still reported missing. According to Kakule Kagheni Samuel, president of the local civil society in Bapere, six additional bodies were discovered on Monday, bringing the total number of victims to twenty-one. The attack occurred during the night of Friday, February 6, to Saturday, February 7, 2026. Assailants reportedly set fire to homes and destroyed property during the incursion. Initial reports had confirmed at least fifteen deaths, including two women, along with the burning of several houses. Survivors described scenes of devastation, with one witness stating he was unable to count the number of bodies encountered while fleeing. Civil society had earlier reported a provisional toll of fifteen dead and seven houses burned. The attack followed several days of reported ADF movements in the area. Residents had raised alerts about the presence of suspected rebels for more than four days prior to the assault. The security situation deteriorated rapidly, triggering mass displacement toward Njiapanda and other localities considered relatively safer. Local sources indicate that the affected village remained inaccessible until Saturday evening, delaying the burial of victims, as several bodies were still lying at the scene. The violence extends beyond Lubero. In neighboring Beni territory, six civilians were killed in an ambush on the evening of February 4, 2026, in Malibo, along the Oicha-Mamove road. The attack came just hours after another ambush on the same road that claimed four additional lives. In total, at least ten civilians were killed in one day, with several motorcycles burned during the assaults. In a report released on February 3, the North Kivu provincial civil society coordination indicated that at least 63 civilians have been killed since the beginning of the year by suspected ADF rebels in Beni and Lubero territories. Of these, 52 deaths were recorded in Lubero and 10 in Beni, making Lubero the hardest-hit area. Beyond the human toll, the attacks have caused extensive material damage, including the burning of a health post, 67 shops, and 10 houses, as well as the destruction of 23 motorcycles and a traditional “barza” used for community meetings. The repeated violence has forced thousands of families into displacement, leaving them in precarious humanitarian conditions. Ongoing insecurity continues to prevent residents from returning to several localities now classified as high-risk zones, deepening the crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.