Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were massacred, and officials labeled it the Maiba massacre, with dates varying between the 12th of February to the 15th of this year.
Their killings are suspected to have ties with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group of Ugandan Islamists rebels based in Western Uganda and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to the Ugandan government and the United States, this group is considered to be a terrorist group, as the organization has violated multiple international human rights and humanitarian laws in a variety of ways.
The ADF have established ties with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which is a Sunni jihadist group with a violent ideology that claims religious authority over all Muslims.
The growing extremist network ADF has been linked to numerous attacks that have occurred in the DRC, resulting in many deaths.
Many local communities have been distraught with no direction on how to navigate the loss of their family and close friends.
These individuals were kidnapped and taken to a protestant church in Kasanga where they were killed, and there has been a record of past killings being linked to individuals’ faith.
The DRC has risen six places to number 35 in the latest World Watch list due to past attacks that have occurred.
Considering the timing of this attack, there is a concern regarding the condition of the humanitarian situation in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, which has been experiencing being terrorized by an armed group, known as March 23 Movement rebels (M23).
Many communities in the DRC have wished for prayers from the world, given the horror that has occurred that has devastated the community.
The majority of residents in the DRC are Christians, yet the ADF has an agenda to force this majority Christian community to follow extreme Muslim practices.
The families of the victims were reported to not have been able to bury their dead for five days after the incident, due to the ADF not permitting them to do so, as well as the unstable conditions.
Many of the individuals that were found dead were women, children, and the elderly, all found with their hands tied behind their back, and many have compared this attack to the Rwandan massacre of 1994.
Many Christians have fled their homes due the fear instilled in them from this attack, as the ADF is known for attacking churches and their dislike towards Christians.
There have reportedly been more than 100 rebel groups operating out of Congo, the ADF and M23 the most prominent ones.
Many communities within Congo wish to raise awareness regarding the violence that has occurred over the years, instilling fear in many residents just for their faith. Many of these individuals have lived in war zones due to these rebel groups agendas.