Tragic Attacks in DRC: Over 100 Christians Killed
A horrific series of coordinated attacks have left over 100 Christians dead in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking a new escalation in violence by Islamist militants in the region.
The majority of the victims were gathered for a wake on Monday night when the violence erupted.
These brutal assaults were executed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group associated with ISIS, targeting the villages of Ntoyo and Potodu in North Kivu province.
Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of chaos and destruction, with bodies strewn across roads, homes, and the area surrounding the Catholic wake.
Rev Mbula Samaki, a church leader at the 55e CEBCE church in Mangurejipa, reported that at least 70 individuals in Ntoyo were massacred, many with machetes and others shot as they attempted to escape.
Rev Samaki, who survived the ordeal, noted that the assailants also set fire to homes, motorbikes, and vehicles, and kidnapped numerous residents.
“They arrived and started killing. They murdered coldly murdered 26 Christians,” Rev Samaki shared with an Open Doors’ local partner. “God still has a mission for me; this incident happened when I had just passed through Ntoyo.”
Mangurejipa parish priest Abbé Paluku Nzalamingi, after visiting the site, described the extent of the violence as staggering. In an interview with local news site Actualite.cd, he remarked: “It’s horrible what I saw. They killed almost all the people gathered at the place of mourning.”
“Women on mattresses in the living room … others in the corridor, still others outside in the plot.
“In any case, many had been shot dead. Some bodies are on the road, in plots close to the centre of Ntoyo. I was unable to count them, but I can say that there are at least 70 people. Most of them were shot dead.”
The violence extended into Tuesday morning, as militants launched another attack in nearby Potodu, targeting Christian farmers who were spending the night in their fields. They were reportedly killed with machetes, according to Pastor Nzalamingi’s statement to Open Doors.
“It is a night of sadness and desolation for Christians,” Pastor Paluku expressed to Open Doors. “May God come to our rescue because we are fed up with these killings in the Beni territory.”
This massacre marks the third major wave of killings in the region in recent weeks.
In August, more than 50 civilians, including women and children, were killed in similar attacks over a weekend in North Kivu.
In a similar incident in July, at least 49 worshippers were murdered during an overnight prayer meeting in Komanda, Ituri province.
Human rights advocates are concerned that many other attacks in remote areas have not been reported.
Thousands have fled the ongoing violence, seeking safety in larger towns like Oicha, where churches are now providing shelter to displaced survivors.
Rev Alili shared his church’s experience in Njiapanda with Open Doors: “They are not willing to sleep in the church for fear of being attacked like those who were killed in a wake. Last month it was still massacre after massacre, and in September, Lord, please come to our aid.”
Jo Newhouse, Open Doors’ spokesperson for sub-Saharan Africa, condemned the attacks: “It is unacceptable that these civilian attacks continue with impunity.
“Open Doors strongly condemns these ongoing acts of violence against civilians and call upon civil societies, governments and international organisations to prioritise civilian protection in eastern DRC where armed groups, such as the ADF, are operating.”
The ongoing violence is believed to be a retaliatory response by the ADF for losses sustained against Congolese military forces earlier this year.
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
