In brief
A suspected assault by the Allied Democratic Forces on the village of Cantine in Beni, North Kivu Province, left at least 30 dead, including civilians and security workers. Rebels set fire to houses, seized hostages, and are now pursued by Congolese and Ugandan forces amid a recent surge in violence across eastern Congo.
A night‑time attack in the village of Cantine, in Beni territory of North Kivu Province, claimed the lives of at least thirty people, Xinhua reported, on the evening of Thursday into Friday November 6, 2026. The casualties were a mix of civilians, security personnel and civil society staff, according to local sources, and some residents were taken hostage as the rebels withdrew.
Reinforcements were deployed to Cantine by Congolese security forces as the operation unfolded, and search teams were mobilised to locate additional victims, Xinhua said. Several houses were set on fire in the course of the raid, a detail that underscores the severity of the assault on the community.
The incident follows a surge of attacks attributed to the ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State and a Ugandan rebel group that has intensified its campaigns against civilians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. Over recent months, the insurgents have carried out multiple assaults across eastern Congo, prompting a wave of military activity in the region.
Congolese and Ugandan defence forces have been joint partners in operations aimed at tracking and neutralising ADF cells since November 2021, Xinhua noted. The partnership has involved coordinated patrols, intelligence sharing and area‑wide security sweeps in an effort to curb the group’s growing influence.
Officials in Beni said that the search for hostages continues, and that additional reinforcements are being brought into the area to strengthen the security perimeter. The response is part of a broader effort to respond to the latest wave of violence that, according to Xinhua, has caused sudden spikes in casualties across the province.
While the exact motives behind the Cantine raid remain unclear, the event highlights the ongoing risk faced by residents of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The pattern of attacks by the ADF has placed local communities in a precarious position, prompting calls for increased protection and international support to address the security crisis.
