As violence continues to spiral in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), reports confirm yet another brutal atrocity. Seventy civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, were found murdered inside a Protestant church near Lubero, in North Kivu. The massacre, attributed to the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), was verified by Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), and the Fides news agency.
The ADF, an Islamic State-affiliated terrorist group originating from Uganda, has been operating in the region for over a decade, using extreme violence to exert control. Survivors reported that the victims were taken hostage before being bound and, in many cases, beheaded — a signature tactic of the group. Many were likely killed because they could not keep up with forced marches, a grim reality for those taken captive by the ADF.
A region in crisis: ADF, M23, and the humanitarian catastrophe
The massacre comes amid a larger crisis in eastern DRC, where multiple armed groups, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, are waging war for dominance over the mineral-rich region.
ACN’s local sources warn that the M23 rebellion is advancing rapidly, with fears that Butembo, North Kivu’s second-largest city, will soon fall — as did Goma and Bukavu before it.
The conflict has driven hundreds of thousands from their homes, with refugees taking increasingly dangerous routes to safety, including makeshift boats to cross the Rusizi River into Burundi.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has declared the humanitarian situation “rapidly deteriorating.” Many of the displaced lack food, shelter, and medical care, with an alarming number of unaccompanied children arriving at refugee camps.
Church stands firm amidst violence
Despite the horrors unfolding, Catholic communities in the DRC remain steadfast, continuing to offer Mass, ordain deacons, and engage in peacebuilding efforts. Bishop Melchisedec Sikuli Paluku of Butembo-Beni told Vatican News that while fear is ever-present, faith sustains the people’s hope.
A local ACN source, speaking anonymously for safety reasons, emphasized the role of prayer in these desperate times:
“Prayer is what keeps our hope alive amidst this situation we are living through.”
International response: Calls for Rwanda to withdraw
As tensions escalate, the United Nations Security Council has called on Rwanda to cease its support for M23 rebels and withdraw troops from Congolese territory “without preconditions.”
The resolution also urges the Congolese army to end its ties with the Hutu-led Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) — a group accused of harboring those responsible for the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
While diplomatic pressure mounts, the suffering on the ground persists. The people of eastern Congo remain trapped in a nightmare of violence, displacement, and fear.
