03/26/2022 DRC (International Christian Concern) – The Allied Democratic Forces Rebels (ADF), who are responsible for massacring tens of thousands of civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are moving west, away from the border with Uganda where joint military operations are taking place.
The ADF rebels are a Muslim extremist group considered the deadliest of the 100 or so armed groups in the eastern DRC for more than 25 years. Since 2014, the ADF has been attacking civilians and the Congolese army in the territory it claims near the border with Uganda. The Islamic State considers them its Central African branch.
From Friday of last week to Monday of this week, at least 79 civilians have been killed by the ADF in the territories of Beni and Irmu, near the DRC’s border with Uganda.
The Congolese and Ugandan armies launched joint military operations against ADF rebels in late November. Even though the rebels are moving west, away from the border with Uganda, killings near the border have spiked recently following the military operations. As a result, many are questioning the actual effectiveness of these recent military actions.
According to news site Med Africa, MP Jean-Baptiste Muhindo Kasekwa, elected from Goma (a town in North Kivu province), said that from March 9 to 14, at least 96 civilians were killed in the territories of Irumu and Beni, 383 since the launch of the Congolese-Ugandan operations and 2,068 since the state of siege was imposed.
He sent an oral question to the Minister of Defense asking him to explain “the real causes of the stalemate in the security situation in these two provinces, with a spike in killings” despite the state of siege.
The DRC ranks at number 40 on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution. “These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi stated in reference to the rebel group.
Please continue to pray for the healing of those traumatized by violence in the DRC and for the Lord to comfort those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. Please also pray for the Lord to strengthen government protection over its people and bring peace to the nation and for the love of Jesus to redeem the souls of those who persecute the church.
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