According to Open Doors, which supports persecuted Christians worldwide, 70 decapitated bodies were discovered in a church in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The AFD, an Islamist group linked to Islamic State, is suspected of beheading the victims with machetes.
Newsweek contacted the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo via email for comment.
What To Know
According to Open Doors, the 70 decapitated bodies were discovered in a Protestant church in Kasanga, Lubero Territory, North Kivu, near the end of last week.
No one has claimed responsibility for the atrocities, but Open Doors and several other organizations have accused the AFD of the murders, citing “field sources.” The victims were allegedly kidnapped a few days before their deaths.
According to Pan-African news agency Agence de Presse Africaine, the Lubero Territory’s military administrator, Alain Kiwewa, is investigating the incident.
“Local sources suspect the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan-based Islamist group affiliated with the Islamic State, as well as local armed groups, of being behind the massacre. “These groups have maintained a climate of terror in the region for several months,” the agency stated.
It stated that the victims, who had been “tied up and decapitated with knives,” were kidnapped on February 12.
American conservatives’ anti-abortion activity Lila Rose commented on X: “Horrific. An Islamist group brutally beheaded 70 Christians inside a church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Where is the media outrage? “Pray for the persecuted Christians.”
Horrific.
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) February 20, 2025
70 Christians were brutally beheaded by an Islamist group inside a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Where’s the media outrage?
Pray for persecuted Christians 🙏
The social media account “Libs of TikTok” also posted about it, saying, “Seventy Christians were found beheaded in a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo.” They were reportedly hostages of the Islamist group ADF, an ISIS affiliate. “Why is not the mainstream media covering this story?”
Seventy Christians were found beheaded in a church in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 20, 2025
They were reportedly hostages of the Islamist group ADF— an ISIS affiliate
Why isn’t the MSM covering this story?? pic.twitter.com/57P6fDc2fF
What People Are Saying
Tristan Azbej, the Hungarian State Secretary for the Aid of Persecuted Christians, stated, “I am horrified to learn about the 70 Christian martyrs beheaded by terrorists in a church in Kasanga, DRC.” Hungary stands in solidarity with persecuted Christians, but the world must do more to recognize and address Christian persecution.”
According to John Samuel, Open Doors’ legal expert for sub-Saharan Africa, “Open Doors strongly condemns this heinous act of violence against civilians and calls upon civil societies, governments, and international organizations to prioritize civilian protection in eastern DRC where armed groups, such as the ADF, are operating.”
An elder from the Evangelical Community in Central Africa stated, “We do not know what to do or how to pray. There have been too many massacres. “May God’s will be done.”
The Context
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has been in a nearly continuous state of war and conflict for more than three decades, but violence has recently increased, owing to the advancement of the March 23 Movement (M23), which has captured strategic locations such as Goma and Bukavu.
ADF is another rebel group involved in the violence, which is why Ugandan forces were recently deployed to eastern Congo to assist Congolese troops.
