Sat Apr 12 01:34:38 UTC 2025: ## Congolese Forces Rescue 41 Hostages from Islamic State-Linked Rebels
**Kinshasa, DRC (April 12, 2025)** – Forty-one hostages, including 13 women and several foreigners, have been rescued from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State-linked extremist group, in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s restive eastern region. The rescue operation, a joint effort between Congolese and Ugandan forces, took place in North Kivu province’s Lubero and Beni territories following an intense battle.
Army spokesman Mak Hazukay confirmed the release on Friday, April 11th, stating that the hostages, some appearing malnourished and exhausted, were freed in Beni. The exact duration of their captivity remains unclear, though hostages in the region are often held for extended periods.
Beni civil society leader Pepin Kavota called on the community to welcome the freed hostages without stigma, emphasizing their status as victims. He praised the joint military operation, which has reportedly freed hundreds of hostages in recent years, and urged the ADF to embrace peace.
The ADF, one of over 100 armed groups operating in eastern Congo, has been responsible for widespread violence and a major humanitarian crisis in the mineral-rich but impoverished region. Their attacks, previously concentrated near the Ugandan border, have increasingly extended towards Goma, currently under the control of the Rwanda-backed M23 group.
First Piper 