The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the horrific massacre of more than 60 Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Masala area of Beni. The terrorist organization made the chilling announcement through a statement on their Telegram channel, revealing the true extent of the tragedy that had previously been reported with a much lower death toll.
The gruesome attack, which targeted innocent civilians and a Congolese army officer, has left the region reeling in shock and despair. Survivors of the massacre have described the devastating loss of life and destruction of property as catastrophic, painting a grim picture of the terror inflicted by ISIS militants.
The recent claim of responsibility by ISIS is just one example of the escalating violence directed towards Christians in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On May 13th, at least 11 Christians were killed in an attack on the village of Ndimbo in Ituri Province, where numerous individuals were also kidnapped and homes were set ablaze.
In another harrowing incident, 14 Catholics were brutally slaughtered in an ambush by the ISIS-affiliated militia known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the town of Eringeti. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano reported that many of the victims were very young and were targeted for refusing to convert to Islam, highlighting the cruel and senseless nature of these attacks.
The ongoing conflict in Eastern Congo, fueled by the struggle for control over the region’s vast mineral resources, has been raging for more than three decades. The human toll has been staggering, with an estimated six million people killed since 1996. The violence has also forced roughly a million Congolese to flee to neighboring countries, while another 6.1 million have been internally displaced.
As the international community grapples with the horrifying reality of ISIS’s presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, urgent action is needed to protect vulnerable communities and bring an end to the senseless violence that has plagued the region for far too long.
