• ADF aligns with Islamic State and spreads recruitment across East Africa

• The group now operates beyond Congo, using bombings, raids, and smuggling

• Experts urge a regional crackdown on its support and financial networks

A new report by the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI), released on May 21, warns that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are no longer just a local threat in eastern Congo. The group has grown into a violent regional network with expanding ties to the Islamic State and deepening recruitment efforts across East Africa.

Originally formed in 1994 by Ugandan rebels opposed to President Yoweri Museveni, the ADF has always carried a radical Islamist agenda inspired by Salafi teachings. Its early ideology drew from the Tablighi Jamaat, a revivalist movement born in British India. The group later set up base in the Beni region of eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), launching attacks into Uganda from Congolese territory.

In 2019, the ADF pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, which began claiming their attacks and labeled the group as its “Central Africa Province.” In one example from March 2023, ISIS said the ADF targeted Christian civilians specifically, aiming to convert them to Islam. Women who survived ADF captivity reported that fighters strictly follow their version of Islamic law and speak openly about converting eastern Congo’s population by force.

The group’s tactics have shifted in recent years. After joint military operations by Uganda and Congo began in 2019, ADF fighters scattered into smaller units. Some moved into nearby Ituri and Lubero territories. In these new areas, the group exploits community tensions and local frustrations to recruit. Poor young men and struggling traders are especially vulnerable, drawn in by promises of quick money or better opportunities.

Recruitment now reaches well beyond Congo’s borders. According to the report, ADF operatives in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Burundi promise cash, jobs, or free schooling to attract new fighters. The group has also built a support network that includes civilians and even contacts within Congo’s own security forces. This network stretches into South Kivu and cities like Goma and Butembo.

In one high-profile case, Rashidi Kupa Patrick—known as Pili Pili—was arrested in August 2023 in South Kivu. During questioning, he admitted working with a vast ADF-linked network that spans Burundi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, and eastern Congo. He said the group smuggles new recruits, food, goods, explosive materials, and money to ADF camps. He also revealed that the ADF has brought in former Ugandan army officers and foreign fighters from Somalia and Tanzania.

This expanded network has helped the ADF develop new tactics. The group now uses bombings in public spaces such as churches, markets, bars, and schools. It also stages armed raids on villages, kidnappings, and looting of farmland. Many attacks are carried out by small, mobile units using knives or firearms.

To keep their operations going, the ADF has entered illegal trade. They traffic in timber, cocoa, weapons, and minerals across border zones like Ruwenzori and Beni-Butembo-Kasindi. They also raid cash crops—cocoa, coffee, and vanilla—from local farmers to fund their campaign.

The report concludes that the ADF has clearly evolved into a regional threat. Its ability to shift tactics, build cross-border alliances, and fund itself through smuggling makes it more dangerous than ever. The authors stress that military force alone is no longer enough. A coordinated regional effort is needed to dismantle the group’s financial and logistical support systems before its influence grows even stronger.