Latest news with #Ituri
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Survivors of church massacre in DR Congo recount night of terror
Gunshots thundered as attackers burst into the church hall, picked out victims, tied them up and shot them dead, survivors in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) said Monday. Witnesses of the massacre, which took place from Saturday night to Sunday in Komanda, Ituri province, described to Agence France-Presse how Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters massacred dozens of worshippers, including women and children, at the Blessed Anuarite Catholic parish church. Pierre Abendi, 21, said he arrived at the church on Saturday evening and 'fell asleep a few minutes later' before being woken by the sound of gunshots. 'At first, we thought they were boys from the town, but when I heard they were speaking a foreign language, I understood that they were the ADF,' he told Agence France-Presse. 'I stood against a wall and hid behind a mattress. I waited quietly for my turn to die,' he said, his voice trembling. Civilians bury the remains of people killed in an attack carried out by Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) at a church in Komanda, near Ituri's provincial capital of Bunia, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: Reuters It was one of the worst recent attacks blamed on the ADF, an Islamist group that is affiliated with the Salafi militant group Islamic State (known as IS, ISIL or ISIS) – shattering recent months of regional calm. It is one of various armed groups present in the northeast and east of the DR Congo, stricken by conflict in recent years. The UN peacekeeping mission in the country (MONUSCO) said the attack killed 43 people overall, including nine children. A priest, Aime Lokana Dhego, said he knew of 'six seriously wounded and a number of young people kidnapped' from the church. One man who asked not to be identified said he was in his shop near the church with his brother when he heard 'gunshots and cries for help'. Minutes later, the attackers knocked on their door. 'If you don't open up, we'll set you on fire,' they said, according to the man. Opening the door, 'we saw them armed with machetes and rifles. It was terrifying.' Once out in the bush, he said, 'We thought they were going to cut our throats.' The two fled when another group of armed men appeared and confronted the ADF, firing shots in the air. A recent attack targeted a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers had gathered for prayer, local sources told Agence France-Presse by telephone from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. Photo: AFP On Monday, the two attended a funeral for victims of the attack in Komanda, some 60km (40 miles) southwest of Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the volatile east of the DRC. After a religious ceremony, the coffins of the victims were placed in a large communal grave for burial, watched by security forces. Local residents were quick to criticise the authorities' handling of security in Komanda. 'We're truly in shock. Children and women have been killed,' one local woman at the funeral told Agence France-Presse. 'What are the security services doing in Komanda? They're not doing their job. They're not doing anything at all.' 'These targeted attacks on defenceless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law,' said Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of MONUSCO. The Congolese army denounced the 'large-scale massacre', adding that 'around forty civilians were surprised and killed with machetes and several others were seriously injured'. It said the ADF had decided to take 'revenge on defenceless peaceful populations to spread terror'. A mainly Muslim fundamentalist group formed by former Ugandan rebels, the ADF has looted and killed thousands of civilians in northeastern DRC, despite the deployment of the Ugandan and Congolese armies in the area since 2021. Pope Leo XIV on Monday expressed his dismay and 'profound grief' at the attack. France condemned it 'with utmost firmness' and said it stood 'alongside the Congolese authorities in fighting against terrorist groups and protecting the population'.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
ISIS-backed Militants Attack a Catholic Church in Eastern Congo, Killing Dozens
ISIS-backed militants attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. "The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, UN-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the ISIS group, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to ISIS. The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
ISIL claims responsibility for deadly church attack in eastern DR Congo
The armed group ISIL (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that a United Nations mission says killed at least 43 worshippers during a night mass at a church in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attack, which took place at the church in Ituri province's Komanda city, saw members of the ISIL-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killing people with guns and machetes, and taking captives. ISIL said on its Telegram channel that rebels had killed some 45 churchgoers and burned dozens of homes and shops. The UN mission known as MONUSCO said at least 43 people had been killed, including 19 women and nine children, and condemned the attack. Pope Leo sent a message of condolences to the bereaved families and the Christian community who lost their relatives and friends in the assault, saying he would pray for them. The Congolese government condemned the church attack as 'horrific', while the military described it as a 'large-scale massacre' carried out in revenge for recent security operations targeting the ADF. However, M23, another Congolese rebel group, backed by Rwanda, used the attack to accuse the government of 'blatant incompetence' in attempts to protect citizens. MONUSCO said the church killings will 'exacerbate an already extremely worrying humanitarian situation in the province'. The church attack on Sunday was the latest in a series of deadly ADF assaults on civilians, including an attack earlier this month when the group killed 66 people in Ituri province. The attack happened on July 11, at about 1am (00:00 GMT) in the Irumu area, near the border with Uganda. The ADF originates in neighbouring Uganda, but is now based in the mineral-rich eastern DRC. It mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many armed groups compete for influence and resources. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to the neighbouring DRC and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to ISIL. The ADF's leadership says it is fighting to form a government in the East African country. The DRC army has long struggled against the rebel group, and it is now also grappling with a complex web of attacks since renewed hostilities with the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.
Zawya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Zawya
United Nations (UN) condemns deadly attack on worshippers in Democratic Republic of the Congo
The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, strongly condemned an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on civilians during the night of 26 to 27 July. Elements of the ADF, an Islamic State-affiliated insurgent group that originated in neighbouring Uganda, carried out the attack in Komanda town, Irumu territory, Ituri province. At least 49 civilians were killed, including nine children. Several other people were injured and abducted, and shops and homes were set on fire. Most of the victims were reportedly worshippers killed with bladed weapons during a night vigil at a church. The incident comes after ADF attacks earlier in the month killed 82 civilians in Ituri and North Kivu provinces, which MONUSCO condemned on 23 July. The group has committed grave human rights violations against civilians since its founding in 1995 and has been under UN sanctions since June 2014. 'Deep outrage' over attacks MONUSCO expressed 'deep outrage at these heinous acts of violence, which constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and infringements on human rights.' The peacekeeping mission also extended condolences to the bereaved families, urged Congolese authorities to investigate these killings, and reiterated the UN Secretary-General's call for all foreign armed groups to lay down their weapons unconditionally and return to their countries of origin. 'These targeted attacks against defenceless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international humanitarian law,' said Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Protection and Operations and Acting Head of MONUSCO. She added that the Mission 'will continue to work tirelessly alongside the Congolese authorities to protect the population in line with its mandate.' Response on the ground MONUSCO is supporting local authorities in their response by organising burials and providing medical care to the wounded. The peacekeeping mission is also intensifying security efforts in and around the city of Komanda. The Mission is committed to working with Congolese authorities and communities 'to help prevent future attacks, protect civilians, reduce tensions, and contribute to the stabilization of areas affected by armed violence.' Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
An attack on a Congolese church killed nearly 40 worshippers. Here's what to know
Nearly 40 people were killed Sunday in eastern Congo's Ituri province when rebels stormed a Catholic church during a vigil and opened fire on worshippers, including many women and children. At least 38 people were confirmed dead in the church while another five were killed in a nearby village. The victims included 19 men, 15 women and nine children. The attacks in Komanda town in the conflict-battered region were carried out by the Allied Democratic Force, a rebel group backed by the Islamic State that has mostly targeted villagers in eastern Congo and across the border in Uganda, the Congolese army said. The ADF arose from tensions in neighboring Uganda The ADF has roots in Uganda in the 1990s. Following the overthrow of long-term dictator, Idi Amin, a coalition of various discontent groups saw the new government of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni as anti-Muslim. Since then, the group has grown into a potent force but has been pushed out of Uganda's territories and now operates in the borderlands between Uganda and Congo, often targeting civilians in remote villages. ADF leaders pledged allegiance in 2019 to the Islamic State and have sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Uganda. Rebels complicate conflicts in eastern Congo Eastern Congo has been beleaguered by protracted conflicts for decades, dating back to the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The conflicts have involved more than a hundred armed groups, according to the United Nations. The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group is the most prominent and launched a blitz of attacks in January in a major escalation culiminating in its capture of two key cities in the region. The Congolese and Ugandan armies have targeted the ADF in a joint military effort but analysts say it has done little, even as the rebels attack civilians. 'These joint operations have only succeeded in dispersing the ADF without really protecting civilians from their wrathful reprisals,' said Onesphore Sematumba, the Congo analyst at the International Crisis Group. This presents complex headaches for the overstretched Congolese army, which is occupied with advances by M23 and other rebel groups in the mineral-rich region. 'The ADF is taking more or less the advantage of the Congolese army's and international diplomacy's focus on the M23 further south without attracting too much attention,' Sematumba said. Attack targeted worshippers at midnight The church attack Sunday was the latest in a series of deadly ADF assaults on civilians, including earlier this month when the group killed 66 people in Ituri province. The attack happened July 11 around 1 a.m. during a vigil at a Catholic church in Komanda, civil society leaders and survivors. It followed an attack a few hours earlier in the nearby village of Machongani, where five people were killed and houses razed. The attackers were believed to have come from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Attack expected to worsen situation The attack Sunday has sent shockwaves around the Central African country, which is currently embroiled in numerous conflicts. The Congolese government condemned it as 'horrific" while the military described it as a 'large-scale massacre' carried out in revenge for recent security operations targeting the ADF. However, M23 used the attack to accuse the governemnt of 'blatant incompetence' in attempts to protect citizens. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country, MONUSCO, said the chuch killings will 'exacerbate an already extremely worrying humanitarian situation in the province.'
