At least 52 people were killed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo after machete-wielding rebels stormed several villages in North Kivu province, local officials said Tuesday. The attack happened late Monday in the Beni region, an area that has lived with violence from armed groups for years.
Most of the victims were civilians. Officials said many were attacked inside their homes, and several bodies showed machete wounds. Survivors fled into nearby areas, while local leaders pleaded for the government to provide protection.
North Kivu’s governor, Louis Mbusa Nyamwisi, said the assault was carried out by a rebel group operating in the region. Civil society groups confirmed the death toll and called it one of the province’s deadliest incidents this year. Security forces have since been sent in to try to restore order and pursue the attackers.
Eastern Congo has struggled with militia activity and rebel violence for decades. North Kivu in particular has seen repeated waves of killings and mass displacement, leaving communities in constant crisis. Officials said the latest bloodshed is another reminder of how fragile security remains in the region.
The attack comes at a time when the Congolese government, along with international partners, is trying to strengthen peacekeeping and counterinsurgency operations. Aid agencies have raised alarms as civilian casualties continue to climb, warning that the violence is driving more families from their homes and deepening insecurity across the east.
