A dramatic escalation of violence has gripped the northeast Democratic Republic of Congo, where coordinated attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have left at least 44 civilians dead in just two days. The surge in bloodshed marks a dangerous turning point for a region already reeling from years of instability.

According to local civil society reports, six villages in the Bangole area were overrun on November 12, resulting in 14 fatalities. The toll is expected to rise as several communities remain inaccessible due to ongoing threats from armed groups. Meanwhile, attacks in the Babila Babombi chiefdom have claimed another 30 lives, though officials warn the final count may be higher once safe assessments can be conducted.

The brutal surge follows days of intensifying violence across the region. On November 2 and 5, human rights defenders sounded alarms about armed men terrorizing residents in Mambasa territory — an area rich in cocoa plantations. Yet cocoa production alone doesn’t explain the recent wave of attacks, says a local civil society leader who requested anonymity: “Recent incursions have also struck the neighboring Haut-Uele province, where cocoa is nonexistent.”