Conflict analysts have suggested that Islamic state militants within the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been in a position to operate with increasing impunity on account of the conflict with the allegedly Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Earlier this 12 months M23 made significant gains against government forces, even taking the town of Goma. The DRC claims that M23 is a front for the Rwandan government, which it says desires to annex a few of its mineral wealthy eastern territories.
For its part, Rwanda has accused the DRC of harbouring criminals answerable for the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Last month each countries agreed a peace deal which is within 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 within the region, which fits by the name of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
In February the group, benefiting from the conflict with M23, launched an attack on a church in Lubero that resulted within the deaths of 70 Christians.
ACLED claims that in the primary quarter of 2025, ADF attacks killed 68 per cent more people than within the previous three-month period.
According to ACLED at the very least 450 civilians were killed by ADF, making it the second deadliest quarter since ACLED began keeping records on ADF in 1997.
International Christian Concern (ICC) believes the ADF was in a position to operate more freely on account of the winding down of the UN’s peacekeeping force within the country.
ICC hopes that the DRC-Rwanda peace deal will hold and that its full implementation will allow greater motion to be taken against the ADF.
The organisation said, “Should the recent deal reduce the M23’s effectiveness, regional security forces may give you the option to devote more attention to the ADF. In the meantime, nevertheless, the ADF seems poised to proceed its radical Islamist campaign against the DRC’s Christian-majority population.”
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