DRC Church attack leaves five dead, many more abducted
For the members of the Eglise Message du Temps church in northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo, a time of worship turned into a scene of terror and tragedy.
Multiple news accounts report that on Tuesday, January 30, militants from the Islamic extremist group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the church, killing five and reportedly abducting at least 30 more, including the pastor and his wife. The couple’s children account for two of the five deaths.
The church is located in the community of Bayeti, bordering the Ituri and North Kivu provinces of the DRC. Since 2021, people in this area have lived under a “state of siege”. Last year, the region saw multiple targeted attacks on the Church.
The ADF, who in 2019 pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, are one of the deadliest armed groups in the region and increasingly target Christians. The group’s constant and brutal efforts to cripple the church, even eradicate it, account for the DRC’s violent persecution score of 95%.
And in only the last two months, the area has been targeted repeatedly, including attacks in Kazaroho, Lolwa, and the Mangadola, Makodu, Mangazi and Matadi villages. Some victims were killed as they worked their farms. In this region, even the simple and vital task of harvesting beans can be a life-or-death decision.
“Christians cannot go to their farms anymore,” says Pastor Paluku who leads a church in the area and is also a teacher at the nearby Oicha Bible Institute.
Pastor Jean Marie Ekole, president of the Eglises de Reveil au Congo (Revival Churches in Congo) in the Beni territory, shares that the numerous and spontaneous attacks on Christian communities in eastern DRC continue to cause massive displacement of the population.
“We urge the global community to acknowledge the scale of the problem and address it urgently.”
According to the UN, nearly 7 million people in the DRC are displaced, with around 5 million from the country’s eastern region where the violence is taking place.
“The continued weak rule of law has enabled abductions, detentions and murders to continue with impunity,” says Jo Newhouse, spokesperson for Open Doors’ work in sub-Saharan Africa. “The scale of attacks is alarming: Christian villages have been burned down; pastors, priests and lay Christians are abducted almost every week; and untold suffering has been inflicted on Christian communities by the ADF and other armed factions.”
Jean-Paul, a Christian and member of the local civil society, adds: “This umpteenth attack has led to the closure of the church. Most of the population had fled for Oicha, which was deemed safe. Now the situation has worsened.”
As God’s people, we’re called to pray with our family in the DRC under fire, never knowing when the next attack will come. Open Doors is calling on the worldwide Body of Christ to commit to fervent prayer for the church in northeastern DRC.
“Open Doors continues to advocate for the plight of Christians in northeastern DRC where violent militancy is threatening the survival of the church,” Newhouse says. “We urge the global community to acknowledge the scale of the problem and address it urgently.”
Pray with us
- Pray for the comfort of grieving family, imploring God’s mercy for the return of peace to the northeast region.
- Pray for the survival of Christians trapped in Oicha community. Pastor Paluku asks: “Pray for the resilience of the Christians of Ngite, Mangodola, Makodo, Mangazi and Matadi.”
- Pray for the safe return of the pastor, his wife, and other abducted Christians.
- Pray for the survival of the Christians displaced to Oicha, that the Lord will abundantly provide for the internally displaced Christians and the host community.
Update: February 20
We have received confirmation that following the attack, the pastor and his wife were also killed.
We will provide further updates when they are available. We grieve for the dead and pray that God will comfort their loved ones, as well as the wider Christian community in the DRC.
