The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is one of the rebel groups operating in Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, the epicentre of the latest outbreak of Ebola which has killed more than 200 people.

Little is known about the group but a new report offers insight into who they are and how they have evolved.

The ADF is known as a Ugandan Islamist group which fled to eastern DR Congo in the 1990s. While they are still being led by Ugandans, researchers believe many different nationalities are among the rank and file - including Congolese who were kidnapped and brainwashed.

There are many other rebel groups in the area and the ADF is believed to collaborate with them.

The report is based on interviews with a dozen of defectors and videos from social media channels. These videos show a “tentative attempt” by the ADF to align itself with other jihadist groups and rebrand – presenting for example a black flag similar to the one used by al-Shabab and the Islamic State group.

Jason Stearns from the Congo Research Group says that a striking feature of these videos is how they are trying to become "much more of an East African, international affair" with people speaking Kinyarwanda, Kirundi and Kiswahili.

With no clear understanding of the ADF, more attacks appear likely - and insecurity in the region will continue to seriously challenge health workers who are racing against the clock to contain the deadly virus.