When talking about the phenomenon of conflict in the DRC, the armed group M23 and tensions with neighboring Rwanda immediately come to mind, being the most prominent dispute in the region.
However, little is mentioned about events in other Congolese states which often are marginalized topics in popular news articles.
One such issue is linked to the recent attack in the village Komanda, on Sunday 27th July 2025 where at least 40 people have been killed in prayer vigils of the local Catholic church as well as their homes.
Apparently, this ambush was orchestrated by an affiliate branch of the Islamic State since the group claimed the ownership over this incident via the social media channel Telegram.
But since when does the Islamic State operate within the DRC? And why is there no broader global awareness on this issue?
Islamic extremism in the DRC
With over 120 armed groups currently operating in the biggest state of the central African region, the DRC has developed into one of the continent’s most complex conflict regions.
Nevertheless, when talking about Islamic extremism in the East African context the traces lead all the way back to the DRC’s border to Uganda, where the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have officially established in 1993 as a paramilitary merger of the Tablighi Islamic sect of Uganda & the National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (NALU) with the goal to oust the former government under Yoweri Museveni.
Financed and supported by Sudan, the ADF has performed several attacks in Kampala until the 90s, which has led to an increase in Uganda’s military presence in the Northeastern DRC province of Ituri.
While the paramilitary group has been rather dormant in the early 2000s, 2013 marked the year of increased activity with the capture of the ADF’s former leader Jamil Muluku being a harsh setback for the armed group.
Under new leadership of Musa Baluku, the ADF was increasingly associated with the Islamic State as Baluku officially claimed the group’s integration of the Islamic State’s Central African Province in 2020.
Yet, it is difficult to consider the entirety of the ADF to be part of the Islamic State since the group has internally split, diverging from the current leadership.
While there are many different segments at this point to determine one line of Islamic extremism the group follows, it is clear to say that the ADF in general shares an understanding of certain Salafi-jihadist elements.
Additionally, Pope Leo XIV expressed his sincere condolences to the victims after the attacks happened.
Being one of the most influential religious leaders worldwide, this act can be considered a symbolic message not only to his followership, but rather to the political landscape as to not forget marginalized conflicts such as the Northeastern DRC tensions.
In light of the doubtable peace agreement between Kigali and Kinshasa, which is supposed to bring peace and stability into the entire region, the pope’s expression of condolence serves as another possible evidence that a debatably coerced mineral deal does not solve a complex regional conflict.
