Church elder and worship leader amongst 20 killed in latest attacks in DRC

Please remember our family in eastern DRC following another spate of devastating attacks.

A church elder and a worship leader are amongst six people killed in one of three recent attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). More than 20 people are believed to have died in total and there are fears of more imminent attacks.

According to reports, the three attacks took place in Beni Territory, a volatile region in North Kivu Province, between 12-16 July. A field contact of Open Doors has confirmed one of the attacks, which happened in the rural commune of Mangina on 14 July, killing the elder and worship leader. Six more people were injured, one person is missing and two houses were burned down.

“Activities have slowed down,” shares Pastor Nkulu*, who lives in Mangina. “Fear is increasing. Brothers and sisters, please intercede for the safety of the rural commune of Mangina and for the strengthening of the faith of Christians.”

The pastor sheltered ten Christians in his home who had desperately fled their houses as their neighbourhood was attacked, with rumours circulating of further attacks.

Other reported attacks

News outlets report that members from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked an area west of the city of Beni on 12 July, killing seven people and three soldiers from the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC). Ten more people reportedly died in a separate attack in Magina on 16 July.

Due to the spread of the Ebola virus in eastern DRC, verifying information is difficult because the local government has placed strict restrictions on movement.

• What’s it like to be a Christian in DRC?

DRC’s eastern region has become a hotspot for severe persecution, with the ADF – an Islamist extremist group with ties to so-called Islamic State (IS) – deliberately targeting Christian communities through massacres, kidnapping and the destruction of churches. According to many victims, the atrocities are intended to eradicate the presence of Christians.

The ADF’s presence in the area has had a significant emotional impact on many locals. These latest attacks will further heighten fear. Please pray for the region and our brothers and sisters who live there. If you’ve yet to, please sign and share the Arise Africa petition, which seeks to highlight the atrocities facing Christians in DRC and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Thank you.

*Name changed for security reasons