Congo’s government blamed the attack on the Allied Defence Forces, an Islamist group active in northeastern Congo.

Tshisekedi “condemns with the greatest force the terrorist attack,” according to a message on his office’s Twitter account. “Those responsible will be pursued, arrested, judged and severely punished.”

The ADF, which originated in neighbouring Uganda more than two decades ago, has been linked to the deaths of more than 1,300 people since 2021, according to the United Nations, along with multiple bombings and attempted bombings in Congo, Uganda and Rwanda. In recent years the group has stepped up its use of suicide attacks, sophisticated explosive devices and violent propaganda videos, UN experts said in a report in June.

The UN experts warned in their report of growing communication between the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant region.