“Though depleted, but not broken…” or the Dynamics of ADF Survival and Renewal

Abstract

The Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, is a Central African jihadist organisation currently operating in North Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The origins of the organisation go back to western Uganda, where the ADF posed a growing threat to the Museveni regime, so they were eventually expelled by the Ugandan army. During its 25-year existence, the insurgent organisation developed the method of renewal and adaptation to a high level, which it also needed because of the series of attacks it had received. And its relationship with the Islamic State could put the ADF’s perception in a new perspective, attributing increasing security policy risks to it.