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The attack had been carried out by members of the Allied
Democratic Forces (ADF), said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an
army spokesman in Congo's North Kivu province.
The ADF which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged
allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further
destabilizing a region where many militant groups are active.
It originates from neighboring Uganda and is alleged to be
behind another assault that killed at least 16 people this week.
Armed men had used guns and machetes to attack residents of
villages in Beni territory overnight on Friday, local official
Fabien Kakule told Reuters.
Vusindi Nick Junior, a local civil society leader, said a local
health centre had been set ablaze and nine people injured in
addition to the 41 killed.
"Several dozen civilians have been victims of the ADF in eastern
DRC in recent days. Terrorist groups are taking advantage of the
chaos to expand their hold on an already very unstable region,"
said EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali.
"Urgent need to accelerate efforts to find a political
solution," she added.
Julien Paluku, a former governor of North Kivu, said on X that
Congo's national government needed to do more to address
insecurity in the east. The government has not yet made any
statement on the attack. A government spokesman did not respond
to requests for comment.
"People have the impression, rightly or wrongly, of being
abandoned to their sad fate," he said.
(Reporting by Erikas Mwisi Kambale and Ange Kasongo in Kinshasa;
Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Alexander Smith)
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