The Army of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has announced that it has released around thirty civilians who were taken hostage this Friday by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the North Kivu province, in the east of the country.
The spokesman for the Armed Forces has announced that the hostages were taken during bombardments last Friday, in which several rebels died, reports the Congolese news portal 7sur7.
Likewise, the representative of the Army has explained that the search operation continues in the area, while the released persons have been attended by the military before being reunited with their respective families.
North Kivu and Ituri province, the latter in the northeast of the country, have been under a state of siege since May due to an increase in rebel attacks. Numerous armed groups operate in these provinces, including the ADF — which swore allegiance to the Islamic State –, CODECO and the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), despite the formal conclusion of the 1998-2003 war. The conflict caused millions of deaths, most of them from hunger and disease.
