Security: DR Congo
Attacks in Mambasa territory, a district of Ituri province in north-eastern DR Congo, have killed at least 35 civilians in recent days, according to an official of the Babila Babombi chiefdom, a traditional local district, in a toll reported on Friday 13 November 2026. Local authorities and rights groups attribute the attacks to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
The toll has risen as bodies were found, from 22 to 35 in local reporting, and several villages remain inaccessible. Every count is therefore provisional.
The attacks hit the same zone that is at the centre of the country’s Ebola outbreak. Readers in the United States and elsewhere have reason to watch, because violence makes tracking the disease harder and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the EU’s disease agency, says the outbreak is likely larger than reported.
Key Facts
•Toll. At least 35 civilians dead by 13 November in the Babila Babombi chiefdom, Ituri; the count is provisional
•Blamed group. Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State
•Days earlier. A 5 November attack on Cantine-Aloya, a village in North Kivu, left at least 33 dead by one local count
•Ebola. Ituri had 7,614 confirmed cases as of 8 November, the most of any DR Congo province
Armed attackers killed dozens of civilians in a province already struggling with Ebola. Much of the area cannot yet be reached.
What Happened This Week
On Wednesday 11 November, attackers hit Mingazi, Amani, Lelesi and Mitume in the Babila Babombi chiefdom, and killed at least 12 people that day. By Friday 13 November, an official of the chiefdom’s administration had put the toll at at least 35 dead, up from 22 as bodies were found, with 14 missing, 12 houses burned and nine motorcycles burned.
New bodies were found on the evening of 11 November and during 12 November, according to local reports. Because villages remain hard to reach, the figure is not final.
On Thursday 12 November, further attacks were reported in Dondola, Makembise and Kisangani camp, where the toll is unknown because the area is inaccessible. Traditional leaders and human rights activists urged security forces to strengthen their presence.
Residents worry about the thin presence of the Congolese army, known as the FARDC (Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The Mambasa territory administrator said military operations are under way to hunt the armed groups responsible.
Why the Violence Matters for the Ebola Fight
According to the ECDC update of 9 November 2026, DR Congo had 10,920 confirmed Ebola cases (Bundibugyo virus, one of several Ebola species) up to 8 November and 5,323 related deaths up to 7 November. The cases are spread across eight provinces.
Ituri is the worst hit province, with 7,614 cases and 3,594 deaths across 28 of its 36 health zones (local health districts), the ECDC said. Ituri alone accounts for most of the outbreak’s confirmed cases.
The ECDC notes that insecurity and humanitarian challenges partly limit information on transmission chains and says it is likely that the outbreak is larger than reported. Villages cut off by attackers are among the places where such information is hardest to gather.
Earlier, on the night of Thursday 5 November, armed men attacked Cantine-Aloya, a village in Beni territory, North Kivu province, and local accounts say they set a health post on fire. Africa CDC, the African Union’s public health agency, said on 8 November that hundreds of people with confirmed or suspected Ebola fled and called for a corridor of peace, and it gave no toll.
Justin Paluku, who heads a local civil society group, said he had counted 33 bodies. That is one local count, not an official toll.
What Is Not Known
No statement from the army command or from the ADF was available when we published. The final death toll is also unknown, because several villages cannot be reached.
It is not clear how the toll in Babila Babombi compares with counts elsewhere in Mambasa territory. No official date for the next update is known.
What This Means for Readers Abroad
The people most directly affected are residents of Mambasa territory and the aid and health workers who operate in the area. After the Cantine-Aloya attack, Africa CDC said health workers must be able to provide services without fear of violence.
Anyone with staff or travel plans in eastern DR Congo has two streams of information to follow, the security reports and the Ebola updates. Our Ebola explainer and our guide to who holds power in DR Congo set out the background, and the Africa section carries more coverage.
In Plain English
- ADF: the Allied Democratic Forces, an armed group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
- ECDC: the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the EU’s disease agency.
- Africa CDC: the African Union’s public health agency.
- Ituri: a province in north-eastern DR Congo, home to Mambasa territory.
- FARDC: the Congolese army.
Sources
- ECDC, Ebola update, 9 November 2026
- Africa CDC statement on the attack in North Kivu, 8 November 2026
- Babila Babombi chiefdom administration and Mambasa territory administrator, 12 and 13 November 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people were killed in Ituri?
At least 35 civilians had been killed in the Babila Babombi chiefdom by 13 November 2026, according to an official of its administration. The count is provisional and rose as bodies were found.
Who is blamed for the attacks?
Local authorities and rights groups attribute the attacks to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. No claim of responsibility or army statement was available when we published.
How bad is Ebola in Ituri?
The ECDC reported 7,614 confirmed cases and 3,594 deaths in Ituri in its update of 9 November 2026. Ituri is the worst hit of the eight affected provinces.
Why does the violence matter for the Ebola response?
The ECDC says insecurity and humanitarian challenges partly limit information on transmission chains and the outbreak is likely larger than reported. Attacks in the same province add to that uncertainty.
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