Christian World | At least four civilians were killed and seven houses, including a Pentecostal church, were burned in a suspected ADF attack in Congo's Beni territory

ACW | November 13, 2026 — At least four civilians were killed overnight in a suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attack in Mabalako, in eastern Congo's Beni territory, local outlets Radio Moto and Reporter.cd reported Thursday.

The attack hit the Kamaghume neighbourhood in the Baswagha-Madiwe grouping at about 12:20 a.m. local time on Thursday, both outlets reported.

Seven houses were burned, including a church of the Community of Pentecostal Churches in Central Africa (CEPAC), the Baswagha-Madiwe civil society group said, according to the reports. The death toll is provisional.

Radio Moto, citing initial army information, said the attackers were already in the area before the exchange of fire and that the Congolese army's intervention limited the damage. One soldier was shot in the leg, the outlet said. No official army statement appeared in the published reports.

"The enemy is moving freely in the Baswagha-Madiwe grouping," Georges Kivaya, rapporteur of civil society in the Beni-Mbau sector, told Radio Moto. Several hundred families had fled Mabalako for the city of Beni since Thursday morning, the outlet reported.

Background: The attack came less than a week after at least 35 civilians were killed overnight on Nov. 5-6 in Cantine-Aloya, on the border of Beni and Lubero territories, Actualite.cd reported. The Kivu Security Tracker said 17 of them were children.

Why it matters: The CEPAC church in Kamaghume was among the buildings burned, Reporter.cd and Radio Moto said. Many residents spent the night outdoors, according to the civil society group.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Radio Moto — Deadly attack reported in Mabalako after Cantine; Radio Moto — Mass displacement from Mabalako to Beni; Reporter.cd — At least four killed in Mabalako; Actualite.cd — Cantine attack (background)

Photo: Radio Moto