Forty-three civilians, including 16 women and 24 children, have returned to civilian life after being held captive by Islamic State-affiliated rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The hostages were freed in a joint military operation by the Congolese and Ugandan armies approximately six months ago. The rebels, members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), had captured the civilians in the eastern city of Beni.
A ceremony was held on Tuesday to mark the return of the hostages, who will now receive support from a civil society organization and the United Nations mission in the DRC.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel group, has been operating in eastern DRC for over three decades. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 and has been responsible for numerous attacks on civilians in the region.
Despite ongoing efforts by the Congolese and Ugandan governments to combat the ADF, the militia remains a significant threat to the region. In June, the group was blamed for attacks that killed over 150 people.