Over just two days, more than 100 Christians have been killed in the region amid ongoing violence by extremist groups aiming to establish a caliphate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Christian ministry Open Doors reports that over 100 believers were murdered during a recent series of attacks led by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant Islamist group known for massacring civilians across the area and having ties to the Islamic State.
On September 8, at 9 p.m., Christians who had gathered for a funeral service in Ntoyo village in eastern Congo were ambushed by militants. As armed insurgents attacked with guns and machetes, 70 Christians lost their lives, 100 others were kidnapped, and 16 houses were set ablaze.
Rev. Mbula Samaki of the 55e CEBCE church in Mangurejipa described the scene: “They arrived and started killing. Those who tried to flee were shot dead, and others were killed with machetes.” Witnesses recounted witnessing victims being shot or hacked to death right in front of their families.
A parish priest, Abbé Paluku Nzalamingi, shared his distressing account from visiting the massacre site: “It’s horrible what I saw. [Bodies of] women on mattresses in the living room ... others in the corridor, still, others outside in the plot. Some bodies are on the road, in plots close to the centre of Ntoyo. They killed almost all the people gathered at the place of mourning.”
The violence did not stop there. The next morning, militants launched a second attack, this time targeting Christian farmers in Potodu, a community near Oicha. The farmers, many of whom depended on their land for livelihood and selling crops, were slaughtered in their fields, with the death toll now at 30.
The attacks have caused thousands of residents to flee their homes in search of safety in nearby towns and villages. Many have sought refuge with host families in Oicha or have been displaced to other areas, leaving behind their homes and communities.
Jo Newhouse, a spokesperson for Open Doors’ work in sub-Saharan Africa, called for prayer and support: “We ask the Body of Christ to keep the church in eastern DRC in prayer. Pray for God’s comfort, His provision to the displaced, and for His Spirit to give them strength to stand firm amidst these targeted attacks.”
