49 Christians killed in extremist attacks in DRC
In the past few weeks, at least 49 Christians have been killed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as extremist forces attack communities in the Beni territory.
On the evening of July 24, the extremist group Allied Democratic Forces carried out three simultaneous attacks on the villages of Mangambo, Katerrain and Kotaokola.
Open Doors sources say the attacks began simultaneously around 7:30 pm, leaving at least 50 individuals dead. Our local partners were able to identify 31 of them as Christians.
Then on August 10, at least 18 more people were killed in the villages of Mukoni and Bayeti. Four houses and two motorcycles were burnt and another 14 people reported missing.
"Christians are forced to flee and some churches in the affected villages have closed as a result of the latest attacks. 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."
Defense Post reports that local authorities in Beni said in June that 150 people had been killed that month alone in attacks attributed to the ADF in eastern DRC. These attacks have caused mass displacement of Christians to safer areas.
Earlier this year the UN’s OCHA shared that since the beginning of 2024, 738,000 people have been displaced in the DRC, bringing the total number of displaced persons to 7.2 million. More than 80 percent of these are due to armed attacks and clashes.
An Open Doors spokesperson said “Countless communities in eastern DRC are in a state of perpetual conflict. The situation that Christians in eastern DRC are in is horrifying. Christians are forced to flee and some churches in the affected villages have closed as a result of the latest attacks. 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.”
The DRC sits at number 41 on the 2024 World Watch List, the ranking of the most persecuted countries on earth.
Pray
Please be in prayer for the church in the DRC.
- Pray for the strength and faith of Christians who have lost loved ones and are now internally displaced, that the Lord’s mighty hand will be their shield and He will comfort and provide for them.
- Pray for emotional healing for all Christians that have been impacted by recent attacks in eastern DRC.
- Pray for the faith and the growth of the Church amidst the chaos, that God mighty in battle will protect His house and his works will prevail.
- Pray for peace and security in the DRC and for the Lord to lead the military in ending conflicts in the country.
