The attacks on villages in North Kivu Province targeted families of the clergymen and also their church helpers, the witnesses stated.


At first reports informed about the murder of nine women and children but soon it was clear that the number of killed is at least twenty with dozens of injured. The Islamic State-linked Ayyad Democratic Forces are suspected in the attacks which occurred between Nov. 20 and Nov. 25, the local media reported.

They tried to force some of our Christians to convert to Islam, the clergyman, whose spoke under condition of anonymity from security reasons. They also tried to force my wife and our four children to convert to Islam, but when they refused to convert, they shot my wife in the head while our four children were cut into pieces with a Somali sword.

The other source, quoted by The Morning Star, said he was away from his village the day of the attack and thus his life was spared.

According to some reports, the jihadists targeted specifically the clergymen, their families, and the families who were most actively involved in the life of the church.

The jihadist terrorists, who have been active in predominantly Christian,
northeastern Congo for twenty years, increased attacks against civilians

The jihadist insurgents, who have been active in predominantly Christian, northeastern Congo for twenty years, increased attacks against civilians after the Democratic Republic of Congo's army launched a large-scale offensive in October 2019.

A clergyman said the rebel militants intend to establish an Islamist state ruled by sharia, Islamic law.

According to the witness reports, the inhabitants of Beni town that was attacked by jihadists were still in terror on November 28.

There was a throng of Christians flooding the streets in a helpless situation, as well as radical Muslim extremists surrounding five churches, the witness said.

According to the witness ten girls were raped by the attackers who also abducted fifteen girls from the Anglican Church and Roman Catholic Church.

At least fourteen Christians were admitted to the United Nations-operated hospital in critical condition with injuries to their heads, with fractured hands and legs due to the attack with guns, machete, clubs, Somali swords and axes.



Sanctioned by the United States

Founded in the 1990s in western Uganda, the ADF is one of several insurgent groups operating in northeastern Congo. The U.S. Treasury Department in December 2019 imposed sanctions on ADF leaders for mass rape, torture and killings and other human rights abuses of civilians.