Seventy Christians were found beheaded inside a Protestant church in North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Reports indicate the victims had been kidnapped by suspected Allied Democratic Forces terrorists.
The terrorists arrived in Mayba, a village in Lubero, around 4 a.m. last Thursday and ordered residents to quietly leave their homes, according to Open Doors. This led to the capture of at least 20 Christian men and women.
Later, concerned residents tried to plan a rescue, but the armed group surrounded the village and captured 50 more believers. The abducted residents were taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga, where they were found beheaded.
Due to ongoing security threats, families in the area could not immediately bury their relatives.
International Christian Concern, a U.S.-based persecution watchdog, called the attack “a brutal massacre” and stated the ADF held the hostages for days before executing them.
“This recent massacre, where 70 Christians lost their lives, is not an isolated incident but part of a grim pattern of violence that has claimed over 6 million lives in the DRC over two decades of conflict,” said ICC President Jeff King. “The majority of the DRC’s residents are Christian, making this a religious genocide carried out by the ADF.”
He added, “It’s time for more than prayers; we must demand an all-African military force to intervene in this failed state, to restore order and save countless lives.”
Open Doors quoted a local primary school director from Kombo school, who said that churches and health centers in the region had already ceased operations due to widespread violence, relocating their activities.
Many Christians have fled Lubero for safety. A community elder from the local CECA20 church commented, “We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’re exhausted from the massacres. May God’s will alone be done.”
The ADF, associated with the Islamic State terror group, has intensified assaults in northeastern Congo for several years. In 2014, the group escalated attacks in Beni territory of North Kivu province, later expanding into Irumu and Mambasa in Ituri province.
A local news outlet reported that more than 200 people were killed in Baswagha chiefdom last month.
The DRC moved six places higher on the World Watch List, now ranking 35th. Deaths related to faith rose from 261 to 355 last year, and thousands of people were displaced.
Houses in affected regions have been looted, churches closed, and some Christian villages abandoned. The presence of M23 rebels, reportedly supported by Rwanda, has contributed to the insecurity.
Rwanda has been accused of supporting M23 in hopes of annexing some mineral-rich territory. Rwanda, in turn, has accused the DRC of supporting anti-government militias in its territory and harboring those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Amid the blame exchange, M23 recently claimed control of the eastern Congolese city of Goma. Local Christian leaders have pledged to work toward peace and harmony among neighbors.
John Samuel, Open Doors’ legal expert for sub-Saharan Africa, described the violence as happening “in a context of impunity, where almost no one is held accountable.”
Samuel urged the international Christian community to “remain in prayer for Christians and vulnerable communities in eastern DRC” and to seek “an end to violence” while advocating “impartial” and “transparent” efforts by the government.
A previous U.S. State Department report noted, “The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Democratic Republic of the Congo (ISIS-DRC), known locally as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, continued to attack civilians in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces, sometimes targeting churches and religious leaders. While violence targeted all communities, most victims were Christian.”
Around 7 million people are believed to be internally displaced in the DRC, more than any other country. Christian charity World Vision has called on the international community to do more to help child refugees in the country. Since 1998, over 6 million people are believed to have been killed in the conflict.
