ISIS has claimed responsibility for a brutal attack in the Masala area of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which left more than 60 Christians dead.
The terrorist group made the claim through a post on their Telegram channel, stating: “Central African state: More than 60 Christians were killed, including a Congolese army officer, in an attack by Caliphate soldiers in eastern Congo.”
Recent Islamist attacks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have intensified, particularly in the eastern regions of the country.
A recent attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia affiliated with ISIS, resulted in the deaths of at least 14 Catholics.
The massacre, which occurred in the town of Eringeti, involved the victims being killed with machetes and rifles.
Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano reported that many of the victims were “very young” and were targeted for “refusing to convert into Islam.”
Pope Francis condemned the killings in a May 25 statement, calling the actions of the victims “a testimony of martyrdom that a group of Catholics from Congo, from North Kivu, have given in recent days.”
This incident is part of a larger pattern of violence against Christians in the region.
On May 13, another attack in the village of Ndimbo in Ituri Province left at least 11 Christians dead, with many others kidnapped and homes set ablaze.
“This horrific attack has left a trail of devastation and despair, with the loss of life and destruction of property reaching catastrophic proportions,” said a survivor in an interview with International Christian Concern.
Eastern Congo has been plagued by conflict for over 30 years, with more than 100 armed groups and foreign armies vying for control of the region’s vast mineral resources.
The toll has been immense, with around six million people killed since 1996.
Additionally, 6.1 million people have been internally displaced, and nearly a million Congolese have sought refuge in neighbouring countries like Angola, Burundi, the Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia.