“We are still here by faith”: escalating violence in the DRC and Nigeria

Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria are suffering the ongoing effects of extremist violence that is upturning communities and displacing hundreds. Please continue to pray and act on behalf of our brothers and sisters experiencing such violence in sub-Saharan Africa.

“On Tuesday 6 October 2026, the ADF burned a vehicle and took a resident hostage, although the person later managed to escape,” shares Pastor Kasereka Biloko of a Baptist Church in Mambasa, DRC.

Tragically, this kind of story is not unusual for believers in the DRC, and it is only the latest attack in the Mambasa area after months of intensifying insecurity.

Members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have repeatedly targeted Christian communities in the DRC over the past few months, and the figures are shocking. According to a report released by a human rights activist working in the country, the few days between 27 August and 1 September saw 15 communities attacked, 50 Christians, mostly farmers, killed and 53 homes reduced to ashes. Villages across Mambasa have been terrorised and multiple individuals reported missing in the wake of attacks.

“Let us pray for the safety of Christian farmers in the Mambasa territory who are victims of ADF extremists,” shares one believer from the area.

“We have not lost hope”

Part of the impact felt by communities made victims of attack is the increased vulnerability and poverty that they induce.

“The situation is not good, but we are still here by faith,” says Reverend Mumbere of the CECA20 Church in Mambasa. “Pastors have abandoned their church buildings. They have been displaced and are living in poor conditions, and their children have not been able to return to school because of a lack of resources.”

The effects of violence carry on for months afterwards and are especially felt by those who are forced to flee and are displaced from their homes and churches.

“The ADF attacked on 15 August about 20 kilometres from Badisende on the Mambasa road,” explains Pastor Biloko. “They killed people, burned houses and took some residents hostage. The village remains empty.”

Fear of further attack is preventing many from farming and working to provide for their families. The threat of attack is only pushing communities further into need.

“We no longer go to our farms. The population is concentrated in Mambasa centre, and the prices of basic goods have increased. We are living by God’s grace,” Biloko continues. “We are in great trouble. May God’s will be done for us. We have not lost hope, and we believe that one day, God will stop the ADF attacks.”

Nine believers killed in attack

In Nigeria, the situation is similarly grave.

On the night of Friday 9 October, a group of radicalised Fulani militants invaded Ukum Local Government Area, Benue State, firing indiscriminately at villagers.

“At least nine bodies have been recovered so far from Biliji and neighbouring villages,” shares a local Open Doors partner. “However, several residents remain unaccounted for, raising fears that the death toll could rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue in the surrounding bushes.”

According to local sources, the attackers crossed the border to Taraba State prior and after the attack. Four villages were attacked by more than 100 militants driving on around 50 motorbikes, each carrying at least two individuals. They split up to enter the villages in four groups, and Biliji was hit the hardest.

Kewente*, a local partner working in Plateau State, explains a possible reason for the mounting violence: it is almost harvest-time for Christian farmers and the militants want to steal their crops. “Attacks are increasing, although deaths are fewer,” he says. Attacks around this season of the year have a devastating impact on communities that depend on the harvest to live.

Raise your voice

The endemic of violence across nations like the DRC, Nigeria and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa especially impacts our brothers and sisters, uprooting families and towns and encircling the lives of believers with fear for the future. They need your prayers and your action to make sure that their cry for justice is heard. Please sign and share the Arise Africa petition with your family, friends and church as we approach its deadline (2 November) and continue to intercede for the church in Africa.

*Name changed for security reasons