Christians comprise 95% of the population of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Holy Archdiocese of Kinshasa and Central Africa is under the jurisdiction of the His Beatitude Theodore II, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.
For more ChristianPersecution.com coverage of the persecution of Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo, see here.
“Christians in DRC in ‘despair and disillusionment’ after spate of attacks kills at least 30 believers,” Open Doors, October 26, 2023:
Christians in the town of Oicha in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are reeling after at least 30 believers, including children, were killed in recent incidents.
On Tuesday (24 October), armed men stormed Masosi, a Christian neighbourhood in Oicha, North Kivu province. “When the people heard gunshots at the beginning, they thought thieves had come into the village, which is not unusual,” shares Mumbere, a local Christian youth leader. “But when the cracking of bullets lasted for an hour, they then knew it was the ADF [Allied Democratic Forces, which has links to so-called Islamic State.]”
Christians were killed as they began to run for safety. Those who could not flee were burnt in their houses. At least 26 bodies, including those of 12 children, have been identified, but the death toll may be higher with many Christians reported missing. Shops were also looted. Masosi has been emptied of its population, with most fleeing to safer neighbourhoods….
“The Christian population of Oicha is in despair and disillusionment,” says a field source. “They are losing hope. It is said that during the protest, some Christians questioned the safety God promises His children. This situation, like previous incidents, can cause Christians to resort to traditional religions in search of protection for their families.”
These incidents are amongst many in the eastern North Kivu province of DRC, making it a place of extreme danger for Christians to live. The country is number 37 on the World Watch List and one of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa facing where believers are experiencing increased persecution by Islamic militants. Please continue to pray urgently for our brothers and sisters in the region.
