Persecution of Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo: In this massive country as well as in many others in Africa, Islamic jihadis are increasingly aggressive. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is suspected of perpetrating this attack, is only one of several such groups operating in northeastern Congo. The ADF is aligned with ISIS. According to a Congolese clergyman, “the rebel militants intend to establish an Islamist state ruled by sharia (Islamic law).”
There is in Congo a small indigenous Orthodox Church under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Alexandria. Please pray fervently for an end to this cruelty and bloodlust, and ask our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to enable the Orthodox Church in Congo to enjoy peace and security, and to flourish, bringing the light of Christ to this troubled region.
For more ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, see here.
“Islamic Extremist Group Blamed for Latest DRC Attack, At Least 12 Dead,” International Christian Concern, March 16, 2021:
03/16/2021 DRC (International Christian Concern) – At least 12 villagers were killed in eastern DRC during an overnight raid on Monday, by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters.
“There are 12 bodies lying on the ground,” Mambo Kitambal, head of a civil society group in the attacked village of Bulongo, told Reuters, “We fear that this toll could increase especially since the enemy operated for several hours. The victims were executed with pickaxes and machetes”.
The Islamist terrorist group ADF, an affiliate of ISIS, has the primary aim of creating an Islamic Caliphate in Central Africa. In order to achieve this, they often assault, kidnap and kill Christians. While a large majority (85-90%) of DRC’s population is Christian, violence rooted in Islamic extremism continues to worsen, putting the country at number 40 on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution. “These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi stated in reference to ADF….
