Dozens of Christians were found beheaded in a church last week after they were kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo by an Islamist militant group.
Members of the Allied Democratic Forces, a group that reportedly has ties to the Islamic State, came to the homes of Christians demanding they “get out and don’t make any noise.” About 20 Christians were captured in this incident, but it’s believed another 50 were captured when people from the community gathered to devise a plan to get those being held captive back. According to Open Doors, ADF then surrounded the village and captured them.
All 70 of those kidnapped were taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga where they were tragically killed.
Muhindo Musunzi, director of the Kombo primary school [which belongs to the CECA20 church], says that prior to this incident, churches, schools and health centres had all shut their doors because of the chaotic security situation. “We had to move all activities towards Vunying,” he said.
Field sources report that, until yesterday (Tuesday 18 February), some families had not been able to bury their dead because of insecurity in the area. Many Christians have now fled the area for their safety.
“We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’ve had enough of massacres,” says an elder of the CECA20 church. “May God’s will alone be done.”
This latest awful incident is a continuation of the escalating threat posed by ADF militants in the country’s north east region. In 2014, the group intensified attacks in Beni territory in North Kivu province, and since then attacks have spread to the territories of Irumu and Mambasa in Ituri province, and now it’s affecting Lubero. In the last month alone, the group have killed more than 200 people in Baswagha chiefdom, according to a local news website. (Open Doors)
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“Open Doors strongly condemns this heinous act of violence against civilians and calls upon civil societies, governments and international organizations to prioritize civilian protection in eastern DRC where armed groups, such as the ADF, are operating,” John Samuel, Open Doors’ legal expert for the work in sub-Saharan Africa, said in a statement.
“The violence takes place in a context of impunity, where almost no one is held accountable,” he added. “This massacre is a clear indicator of widespread human rights violations against civilians and vulnerable communities, often targeting Christians, perpetrated by ADF – a [so-called Islamic State] affiliate.”
70 Christians have been BEHEADED by Islamist terrorists at a Protestant church in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s North Kivu Province, local reports say.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 21, 2025
WHERE IS THE MSM? pic.twitter.com/dbcFgjsFts
Not a single MSM outlet has touched the news that 70 Christians were tied up by Islamists & beheaded in Congo
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 21, 2025
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