11/11/2020 DRC (International Christian Concern) – Militants believed to be part of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked civilians in the towns of Kisima and Oicha in Eastern DRC. During the first of these two attacks, the group killed seven people on Saturday, November 7, in the town of Kisima. According to the territorial administrator, Donat Kibwana, in an interview with the Agence France-Presse, “the attack took place at 11:00 pm and it was the ADF”. He continued that this was just the initial count and that it may rise as time passed. The second attack took place the very next day, Sunday, November 8 in the town of Oicha. This attack claimed the lives of at least six people.
These two attacks followed just a week after another major attack took place in the town of Lisasa. Over 20 people were killed during that attack and at least one Catholic church was desecrated. This attack was also attributed to the ADF.
Despite these ongoing attacks, the central government in DRC has been unable to protect their citizens in the eastern half of the country. The areas of North Kivu and South Kivu are completely controlled by militia and radical groups like ADF. According to the Kivu Security Tracker, there are more than 100 militias like the ADF operating in this region of the country. Due to its vast landscape and the weak central government, these groups have found a lot of room to train and wreak chaos. Please pray for the citizens of DRC who are at the mercy of these groups.
For interviews, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: press@persecution.org.
