Increasing Islamist Violence Targets Christians in DRC
Amidst escalating violence in Africa, Islamist attacks against Christians are becoming alarmingly frequent. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) recently witnessed a tragic event when militants suspected to be part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked Ntoyo village in North Kivu, claiming at least 64 lives.
The assault on September 8 targeted the Saint Joseph of Maguredjipa parish. While the ADF’s name may suggest otherwise, it is known to be aligned with the Islamic State group, also recognized as IS, ISIS, or ISIL, and operates as a local branch of this international jihadist organization.
According to local sources who spoke with the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), the assailants executed their attack with brutal methods—setting homes ablaze and using guns and hammers to kill many victims, including those attending a wake.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident in the DRC. Mid-August saw a series of ADF attacks in which 52 Christians lost their lives in North Kivu. Earlier in July, 43 Christians were killed during a prayer vigil, and the beginning of the year marked the grim discovery of 70 Christians beheaded in a Protestant church.
Bishop Melchisédech Sikuli Paluko of Butembo-Beni expressed his grief to ACN, saying, “To all the families affected by this umpteenth and horrible carnage … and to all the faithful of the parish, we express our spiritual closeness. May God, the Master of Life, strengthen us through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, consoler of the afflicted, and lead us beyond the desert of present-day suffering to lasting peace.”
Echoing the sentiments of Bishop Paluko, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe from Nigeria highlighted similar challenges in his country. Earlier this year, Bishop Anagbe informed the British House of Lords that massacres during Christian festivals have become distressingly routine in parts of Nigeria.
Despite hosting a significant Christian population, Nigeria ranks seventh in anti-Christian persecution due to the intensity of Islamist violence, according to Open Doors. Meanwhile, the DRC, which is ranked No. 35, has seen its position worsen by six places over the past year due to the surge in such violence.
This article was originally published on Christian Today
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
