The sounds of gunfire and screams shattered a peaceful night as the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked a Christian village on July 16 near Mamove, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The terrorists killed three Christians and kidnapped several others.
“We did not realize that they had invaded our village until they landed on us in the house and started slaughtering people while speaking some Islamic words,” a survivor shared. “That is the moment I realized there was danger. I ran passing through the behind door of our house to the bush, and this is how I managed to survive these killings.”
The attackers also burned seven homes.
“The army was alerted well before, but it could not succeed in protecting this population,” a civil society leader in Mamove lamented.
While calling on locals and surrounding communities to be vigilant, the Bishop of the Anglican Church of Beni asked the Congolese Armed Forces to strengthen the military units based in the area to gain control.
“As we are praying to God to bring this to an end, we also urge the government security organs to step up surveillance in these volatile zones to protect its citizens from the incessant attacks coming from the ADF Islamic group,” he said.
The continued terrorist attacks on Christians in Congo have forced a mass exodus of families fleeing their villages to Beni, Butembo, and Kasindi, leading to an unsustainable influx of displaced people in camps.
