Allied Democratic Forces fund operations in eastern DRC through gold smuggling, kidnappings - report

Allied Democratic Forces fund operations in eastern DRC through gold smuggling, kidnappings - report

The report identifies gold from mines controlled by the ADF as the group’s main source of new funding, with much of the gold being allegedly smuggled into Uganda before reaching other markets.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIL), is relying on gold smuggling, cocoa farming, extortion and kidnappings to fund its operations in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reducing its dependence on financial support from the Islamic State, a new investigation by The Sentry has found.

The investigation, titled Gold-Backed Brutality: The ADF’s Conflict Gold Trade, is based on more than 100 interviews with miners, traders, smugglers, financiers, former hostages, security officials, government representatives and other people familiar with the group’s activities. Researchers also examined documents and gold trading networks linking eastern DRC to Uganda.

The report identifies gold from mines controlled by the ADF as the group’s main source of new funding, with much of the gold being allegedly smuggled into Uganda before reaching other markets.

“Illicit gold is now the chief source of financing for the ISIL-affiliated terrorist group in the DRC, with the gold then flowing to Uganda and the UAE,” said Sasha Lezhnev, a senior policy adviser at The Sentry.

According to the report, the ADF earns an estimated $1 million (Sh129.9 million) to $1.6 million (Sh207.8 million) a year from mines it controls in the Manguredjipa area alone. It also controls other areas rich in gold, giving it access to further sources of income.

The group also makes money from cocoa production, extortion and kidnapping. Abductions serve another purpose by providing workers and recruits, while violence helps the group control communities, the investigation found. According to the report, the group’s ability to raise money locally has helped it continue operating without relying as heavily on outside funding from the Islamic State.

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The findings also raise questions about Uganda’s joint military operation with the Congolese army against the ADF. Uganda has deployed thousands of troops in eastern DRC, but The Sentry says the operation has pushed the group into other areas rich in gold and cocoa rather than destroying it.

“Uganda’s joint military operation targeting the ADF has merely displaced it, and the operation serves Uganda’s economic interests. Conflict gold continues to flow to Uganda from ADF-held areas. This is alarming, and there must be accountability for it,” said John Prendergast, The Sentry’s co-founder.

The ADF has killed thousands of civilians in eastern DRC and was the world’s second-deadliest non-state armed group in 2025, according to conflict-monitoring organisation ACLED. Its attacks have included killings in churches and at funerals, while children have been abducted and forced to serve as fighters.

The Congolese government has also been fighting the M23 rebel group, which The Sentry says has drawn attention and military resources away from the ADF. The Sentry is calling on the United Nations, the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union to investigate the gold trade linking eastern DRC to Uganda.

It also wants the Congolese government to step up efforts against the ADF while continuing to fight M23. The organisation has also urged longer-term action to prevent the group from recruiting people and gaining support in local communities.