At least 53 Christians were killed on January 15 in two brutal Islamist attacks in Lubero, North Kivu, in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP), also known as the Allied Democratic Forces, claimed responsibility for the killings through social media posts, as reported by the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC).
One post stated, “By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate attacked the village of Makoko in the Lubero region and killed 41 Christians [who] were stabbed with knives.” Another post confirmed the killing of 12 more individuals in the nearby village of Masakuki. The terrorist group also abducted 16 Christians while setting homes and motorcycles ablaze.
ISCAP has consistently carried out similar attacks since affiliating with Islamic State (ISIS) in 2017. However, there has been a noticeable increase in both the scale and frequency of attacks in recent weeks.
Ongoing Violence Against Christians
Including the January 15 attacks, at least 128 Christians have been killed in North Kivu and the neighboring Ituri province since Christmas Day 2024.
An analysis by TRAC highlighted that the brutality of these attacks demonstrates ISCAP’s ongoing and deliberate targeting of Christians in the region.
Source: Barnabas Aid