ADF Terrorists Resort to Mass Kidnapping for Money in DRC
Civilians were targeted for abduction based on their potential to pay ransoms. During captivity, they were forced to work and eventually released after ransoms were negotiated, which ranged from US$2,000 to $5,000.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has resorted to targeting people for abductions amid reports of shrinking funding to sustain their terrorist operations. The ADF is publicly affiliated with the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP), an administrative division of the Islamic State, an infamous global terrorist group.
The ADF has an operational presence in eastern DRC and Uganda, but its activities have recently reduced due to funding. The local terrorist organisation is reported to have been receiving funding support from the Islamic State, which is one of the world’s most violent jihadist groups. Domiciled in the Beni and Lubero areas of North Kivu, as well as in Irumu, Djugu, and Mambasa in Ituri and surrounding regions, the group is trying to maintain violent operations.
The group now survives on several illicit practices, such as kidnapping, tax collection, and banditry, according to sources knowledgeable about the group’s inner operational methods. The Islamic State, the main financier of the ADF, is currently facing sustained counterterrorism campaigns from foreign powers in many parts of Africa.
In Lubero, Irumu, and Mambasa, the sources noted that the ADF has introduced a special circulation tax called “Dubius.” Individuals and vehicles must provide proof of payment to move freely. Cocoa producers are also obligated to demonstrate payment for a tax known as “Amani na Upendo” or “Cocoa Deliverance.” Those who cannot afford to pay these taxes are punished or killed.
Eastern DRC has since recorded multiple instances of mass abductions involving civilians along the Komanda-Luna highway and near the Mamove axis. These abductions were often followed by the execution of individuals who could not pay the ransom. Abducted civilians were targeted based on their presumed ability to pay ransoms. During their captivity, they were forced into labour, and subsequently released after negotiating ransoms ranging from US$2,000 to $5,000.
The alarming trend of kidnappings for ransom by the ADF in DRC is similar to tactics employed by terrorist groups in Nigeria, where such abductions have become increasingly prevalent. In Nigeria, groups like Boko Haram and various terrorist groups have used kidnapping as a revenue source amid diminishing external support and intensified security operations against them. The motivations mirror those of the ADF. Victims in both DRC and Nigeria have been targeted not only for their perceived wealth but also due to their vulnerable positions.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are resorting to abductions due to diminished funding for their terrorist activities. Affiliated with the Islamic State's Central Africa Province, the ADF operates mainly in eastern DRC and Uganda, but its activities have lessened recently, largely due to financial challenges following international counterterrorism pressures on its main financier, the Islamic State.
The ADF relies on illegal methods like kidnapping, extortion, and taxation to sustain operations, implementing special taxes in regions like Lubero and Irumu. Citizens and cocoa producers are taxed, and failure to pay can result in severe punishment or death. Mass kidnappings along key routes, targeting those assumed capable of paying ransoms, are prevalent, with victims often forced into labor before negotiating their release.
The situation in DRC is similar to kidnappings in Nigeria where groups like Boko Haram also use abductions as a revenue source amid reduced external support and heightened security measures. Both regions see individuals victimized for their perceived wealth and vulnerability, highlighting a pattern of criminal funding through human targeting.
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