The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group affiliated with the Islamic State, have extended their operations into Haut-Uélé province in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering South Sudan — territory where their presence had not previously been confirmed, according to the Kivu Security Tracker (KST), a research institute monitoring security incidents in the region. In the Mambasa territory, which became the epicentre of ADF violence in March, more than 103 civilians were killed in a single month, and over 400 kidnappings were recorded, with ransoms of between $2,500 and $10,000 demanded from families. Analysts note that the joint Uganda-DRC military operation Shujaa, launched in 2021, has driven the group westward and northward rather than eliminating it, a trend underscored by the new UN MONUSCO (the UN stabilisation mission in the DRC) chief James Swan, who visited Beni this week and called for coordinated civilian protection efforts.