The remains of more than 30 people were found on July 24 following yet another brutal attack on a Christian community by Islamic extremist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in Eastern Congo.
The bodies, many of which had been decapitated, were discovered in the Batangi-Mbau area of the Beni territory in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Léon Siviwe, chief of Beni-Mbau, said the attack was part of a week marked by escalating violence. The victims were primarily from several villages within the Babila-Bakaiku locality, including Kotanarespe, Nakota, Musangwa, and Akwekwe.
“These are our brothers, sisters, daughters, and sons who, in the end, have lost their lives because of the ADF, who kill while speaking the Arabic language,” one survivor recalled. “I remember the day when my neighbor was taken and, in the end, he was found dead.”
Another resident described the emotional toll the attack had on families.
“The recent killings have shattered our community,” he said. “We are left with empty chairs at our tables and memories that haunt us at night. Mourning is a constant presence in our lives, and the trauma we experience is something that will be passed down to our children. They should be playing and laughing, but instead, they carry the weight of fear and loss.”
In a reflection on the ongoing violence and its effect on the community, the Anglican Bishop of Beni articulated the profound psychological toll that living under constant threat has taken on civilians in Beni.
“Living in fear is exhausting,” he said. “We try to maintain some semblance of normalcy, but every loud noise sends us into panic mode. The laughter of children has been replaced by silence or whispers about who might be next. Our dreams have turned into nightmares, and we often find ourselves looking over our shoulders.
“These atrocities create a pervasive anxiety and trauma experienced by those in conflict zones, particularly in regions like eastern Congo, where attacks by armed groups such as the ADF have become tragically commonplace that defiles God’s purpose of creating man.”
International Christian Concern (ICC) has reported on several ADF attacks on Christian communities since U.N. peacekeepers withdrew from DRC earlier this year.
