Churches close after latest attacks
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing dozens of people in a series of violent attacks lasting multiple days in several villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with at least 80 Christians reportedly among the dead, military and local sources say.
The series of attacks saw one of its deadliest days on June 7, when suspected militants from the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces launched coordinated assaults on several villages in the Beni territory of the Christian-majority North Kivu province.
On Friday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that killed over 40 people in the village of Mayikengo in Lubero territory earlier in the week. Citing figures from local authorities, Agence France-Presse reports that nearly 150 people have been killed since the beginning of June by the Allied Democratic Forces.
Open Doors, a watchdog organization monitoring the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, responded to the attacks in a statement shared with The Christian Post, saying that of those killed, at least 80 were Christians. While ADF attacks in DRC are not new, Open Doors reports that the recent violence is "comparatively deadlier" and particularly more "aggressive in targeting Christians" than in previous years.
"Christians are forced to flee, and some churches in the affected villages have closed as a result of the latest attacks. These unabated attacks come at a time when Christian farmers were preparing for harvest," said Open Doors US CEO Ryan Brown.
"The impact is that many families are without means to feed their families, and the unprepared displacement has put pressure on the livelihood of Christian families now on the move to unknown destinations."
Over a dozen armed groups and 100 criminal gangs and militias operate in eastern DRC, according to the U.S. State Department. ADF, which is also referred to as Islamic State's Central Africa Province and sometimes called ISIS-DRC, was designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization in 2021. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2017 after operating in the DRC for years.
"ISIS-DRC historically relied on local resources and on former leader Jamil Mukulu's international connections to raise funds but has received funding from ISIS-linked financing networks since 2017," a State Department factsheet notes. "About one-third of ISIS-DRC members, including its top leaders, are of Ugandan origin."
The Open Doors World Watch List ranks DRC as the 41st most dangerous country for Christians, with the eastern regions facing acute threats from Islamic militants, organized crime and local armed factions. The group called for increased international support and a concerted effort to address the crisis affecting Christian communities.
"The rate at which Christian communities continue to be attacked in eastern DRC by the ADF is horrifying. These attacks continue unabated, displacing thousands of people from their homes, farmlands and livelihoods," said Jo Newhouse, Open Doors' field spokesperson for Sub-Saharan Africa. "We call on the international community to do everything in its power to ensure the government of DRC faithfully and transparently protects all affected communities and that the displaced receive the support they need in these circumstances."
Last week, on the night of June 7, 41 people were killed and several injured, underscoring a grim tally of over 80 fatalities in just four days, Lieutenant-Colonel Mak Hazukay, a spokesman for the Congolese army, told Reuters.
The villages of Masala, Mapasana and Mahini bore the brunt of the onslaught, with armed men using guns and machetes in a brutal rampage. Fabien Kakule, a local official, told Reuters that residents were indiscriminately attacked, and a local health center was set ablaze.
In addition, 11 bodies were discovered in the villages of Kabweli, Mamulese and Mununze. Later, 13 more bodies were found in the village of Makobu, as reported by local leaders and civil society members engaged in the search and recovery of bodies.
In addition to the killings, nine people suffered injuries during the attacks.
The ADF, originally a rebel group from Uganda, has significantly expanded its base of operations in eastern Congo.
According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, ADF has become the deadliest threat to civilians in the region, with over 1,000 reported fatalities last year alone. Their strategic positions have also facilitated increased cross-border attacks into Uganda.
EU foreign affairs spokeswoman Nabila Massrali told Reuters that terror groups "are taking advantage of the chaos to expand their hold on an already very unstable region," stressing the need for a political solution to combat the rising tide of extremism and violence.
Former North Kivu Gov. Julien Paluku took to social media to express concern over the national government's response, or lack thereof, to the escalating violence.
"People have the impression, rightly or wrongly, of being abandoned to their sad fate," he was quoted as stating.
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