Ituri: Panic in Biakato following the presence of armed men

The Association for the Protection and Defense of Vulnerable Children and Women (APDEF) warns of armed men, including ADF rebels, near the Biakato trading center in Mambasa territory (Ituri). These groups prevent farmers from accessing their fields and killed a farmer in Makangalo, taking his motorcycle. The population lives in panic: many farmers abandon their fields and residents are leaving surrounding villages to take refuge in Biakato-Centre. APDEF calls on military authorities to step up patrols in forest areas.