In the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), at least 89 individuals have been brutally killed by jihadists. Open Doors, an organization that tracks the persecution of Christians globally, reported that approximately 70 people were murdered while attending a funeral service, with the remaining victims slain in the villages of Potodu and Ntoyo within the DRC’s North Kivu region.
A significant number of additional villagers are currently missing. The U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant activities, informed Reuters that the death toll was nearing 100.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group, also known as Islamic State Central Africa Province and linked to ISIS, claimed responsibility for the assault. This same group is accused of killing 49 Christians who were praying for peace in a church in Komanda, DRC, in July, and another 66 individuals earlier in Irumu.
Reverend Mbula Samaki, a local pastor, conveyed to an Open Doors partner at the scene: “They arrived and began the killings. Those attempting to flee were shot dead, while others were killed with machetes.”
Digital has reviewed a verified video depicting the aftermath. The footage is too distressing to share, showing the bodies of young children and women lying on the ground. The sorrowful cries of surviving family members can be heard. Another image reportedly shows that some victims had their hands tied behind their backs.
An African Open Doors partner with extensive knowledge of the situation, whose identity must be protected for safety, informed Digital that numerous other attacks have gone unreported. “In August alone, we have documented over 10 attacks, yet many more go unreported. Occasionally, two or three villages are subjected to simultaneous assaults.”
“The people express their weariness, questioning when this will end,” the partner stated. “Daily, you hear of someone being killed. You can find families where two or three members have been killed, or children whose parents have both been killed. It is a reality of profound pain and agony.”
In June, President announced a peace agreement for the DRC. However, sources indicate that local combatants appear willing to implement it only in the area surrounding the eastern city of Goma. In contrast, the ADF is escalating its attacks. This particular region is almost exclusively Christian. Observers suggest that the ADF assailants are all Islamist militants intent on expelling Christians from their lands and preventing them from practicing their faith.
DRC forces are endeavoring to push back against the ADF. However, as one local source told Digital, these efforts are “largely insufficient.”
Following last month’s attack, a White House spokesperson communicated to Digital that “the Trump administration unequivocally condemns this appalling violence against Christians in the DRC and is dedicated to furthering the Washington Accords to restore peace to the area and halt targeted assassinations.”
A Christian leader with firsthand knowledge of the situation added, “should the Trump administration direct its attention to the events unfolding in eastern DRC concerning the ADF, similar to its engagement with other nations, I believe they could exert influence on the DRC government and even assist them in more effectively confronting these ADF assaults.”
“If those in power, capable of enacting change, could perceive this as a family’s tragedy, as a child’s loss of a parent,” the leader implored. “If they could view these not as statistics or isolated events, but as human lives. It appears as though their lives are devalued, considered less worthy of discussion. I do not believe this is just. Everyone merits the right to live.”
Digital attempted to contact the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo for an official statement but received no reply.
Contributions to this report were provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.