Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to make progress in the modes of operation with reports of the use of explosives being on the rise. The report’s progress has been accredited to the growing numbers of foreign fighters, particularly from Kenya, Burundi, and Tanzania.
ISCAP has been receiving and recruiting fighters from across the larger Eastern and central Africa region especially between late 2020 and mid-2021 when at least twelve incidences were confirmed to have used explosives and a few dozen others suspected use of IEDs. The areas around Kainama and Eringeti along the border of North Kivu and Ituri have been particularly contaminated by improvised explosive devices in recent months, which corresponded to an increase in the presence and attacks of ADF in the south of Irumu territory and the north of Beni territory.
While there is increased use of IEDs, the group has been setting up the explosives in areas they have captured or have established their camps to prevent civilians from approaching, force farmers and local populations to leave the contaminated area, or prevent harvesting.
Further, reports say that the explosives are used by components exported from Uganda and are made in the ISCAP camps in Madina and Mamove. Most of the bomb-making components are imported from Uganda among them batteries, explosives, and detonators while empty cartridges are collected from battlefields, reused, and placed in pans to amplify the explosion of improvised devices. Mortars and grenade projectiles used in trigger systems were stolen from the FARDC.
ISCAP is emulating most jihadists groups who use IEDs and landmines to secure key roads and regions that they have captured which in turn heightens the threat posed by the group, especially in geographically strategic border regions. The most at-risk regions include the DRC-Uganda border as well as Ituri-Beni border areas where the group has been expanding its presence.
DRC ought to address the growing threat of foreign fighters who are likely to continue advancing the attack modes of ISCAP to include the manufacture of suicide vest bombs which will increase the threat, especially in highly populated areas.
