2/4/2021 Democratic Republic of the Congo (International Christian Concern)- A majority of the 100 people killed by Islamic extremists last month were Christians, reports the persecution watchdog Open Doors. Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group whose primary aim is to assault, kidnap, and kill Christians, is believed to be responsible for the series of attacks in January.
On January 14th, roughly 46 people belonging to the Pygmy ethnic group in Ituri province were killed by militants. The night of January 4th, in the village of Mwenda, the Beni region of neighboring North Kivu province, approximately 22 people were killed with guns and machetes. Earlier that day, an additional 25 people were murdered at the hands of extremists in the nearby village of Tingwe. One week prior to these attacks, at least 17 people in a surrounding village had been assaulted with machetes and killed.
“These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” said Illia Djadi, an Open Doors spokesperson. According to the organizations 2021 World Watch List, violence against Christians in the DRC is among the worst in the world. While 80- 90% of the population is Christian, extremist groups such as the ADF have increased the intensity of their attacks, causing violence to steadily worsen throughout the country. Please join us in praying for our brothers and sisters in the DRC, for the end of such heinous acts of violence, and for the souls of those who perpetrate them.
For interviews, please contact Alison Garcia: press@persecution.org.
