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Christians are being slaughtered in central Africa
February 27, 2025
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In recent months, Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have faced escalating violence, primarily from an Islamist militant group affiliated with ISIS called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF),
On February 12, ADF militants abducted at least 70 Christians from the village of Mayba in Lubero Territory, North Kivu. The captives were taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga, where they were executed by beheading. The bodies were discovered on February 14. Many of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. This attack is part of a broader pattern of violence against Christians in the region, which has seen over 200 killed in the past month alone.
In late December, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Christian villagers in the eastern DRC. On December 28 and 29, ISCAP militants captured, beheaded, and executed over 30 Christians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. They also set fire to homes and vehicles, causing widespread destruction. On December 31, ISCAP militants killed 12 people in Lubero territory and burned over 20 homes and vehicles.
In June and July 2024, over 30 people were killed, many of them decapitated, in the Batangi-Mbau area of the Beni territory. A month earlier, at least 80 Christians were killed in a series of attacks across North Kivu province. The deadliest day occurred on June 7, when ADF militants attacked the villages of Masala, Mahihi, and Keme, killing over 50 Christians. Homes were burned, and several people went missing. The violence, which targeted members of various Christian denominations forced them to flee their homes and contributed to the closure of churches, schools, and health centers.
In January 2024, another deadly assault took place in Beni, where at least eight people, including five Pentecostal Christians worshiping in a church, were killed by ADF militants. Thirty others were taken hostage.
The ADF, which has terrorized Christian communities for years, was originally formed as a Ugandan Muslim rebel group in 1995, and later moved to eastern DRC. In 2018, the group officially pledged allegiance to ISIS, which has since claimed responsibility for many of its atrocities. The ADF has been targeting Christians in the Rwenzori Mountain area, aiming to establish Islamic law. When they take civilians captive, they often release Muslims and kill Christians who refuse to convert to Islam. The ADF was responsible the killing of 355 Christians in 2024 alone, and since 1996, the conflict in the region has killed an estimated 6 million people.
Catholic Church sources have referred to the violence as a "silent genocide" and have compared it to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. . Pope Francis has condemned the exploitation of the region’s resources, calling the violence an overlooked genocide and urging international action to prevent further bloodshed.
Across Africa, several regions have seen Christians targeted by extremist groups, particularly those with ties to radical Islam. In Nigeria, groups like Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), have waged violent campaigns against Christians, responsible for mass killings, abductions, and attacks on churches and villages, particularly in the northeastern states of Borno and Adamawa. In the Central African Republic, sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim groups, fueled by local and international extremist organizations, has led to widespread persecution, displacement, and church destruction, especially in areas controlled by Muslim militias like Seleka.
Similarly, in Sudan, Christians have long faced persecution, initially with state-sponsored violence under former president Omar al-Bashir and now with attacks from militant Islamist groups in regions like Darfur.
Somalia remains one of the most dangerous places for Christians due to the influence of al-Shabaab, an al-Qaeda-linked group that targets Christians through kidnappings, executions, and attacks on churches. In Mali and Burkina Faso, affiliates of al-Qaeda and ISIS have also targeted Christian communities, contributing to massacres and church attacks.
This chaos is driven by a combination of religious, political, and economic factors. Radical Islamist groups, such as Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and ISIS affiliates, view non-Muslims, especially Christians, as enemies of their interpretation of Islam. These extremists often frame violence as a religious duty which helps them recruit more followers and destabilize weak national governments.
Additionally, ethnic and regional tensions can exacerbate the violence, as seen in Nigeria's north-south divide and in the Central African Republic's sectarian struggles. The fight for control over resources, such as land, wealth, and mineral deposits, further fuels the conflict, with extremist groups using religious divides to justify violence over territory. In the DRC rival militias, including the ADF, are fighting over cobalt and other rare metals.
Furthermore, global jihadist influences, such as ISIS and al-Qaeda, provide funding and support, radicalizing local factions and encouraging violence against Christians as part of a broader religious and ideological struggle.
Ultimately, the violence against Christians in Africa is a complex issue but it remains rooted in extremist ideologies and the government instability that allows these groups to proliferate.
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Antonio Graceffo, PhD, China-MBA MBA, is a China economic analyst teaching economics at the American University in Mongolia. He has spent 20 years in Asia and is the author of six books about China. His writing has appeared in The Diplomat, South China Morning Post, Jamestown Foundation China Brief, Penthouse, Shanghai Institute of American Studies, Epoch Times, War on the Rocks, Just the News, and Black Belt Magazine.
Image credit: Christian Warrior screenshot
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mrscracker commented 2025-03-01 01:49:11 +1100It never seems to fail that articles about the atrocities committed in places like equatorial Africa or Haiti receive few responses.
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mrscracker commented 2025-02-27 22:53:15 +1100Yes, it’s true but in the Congo it seems like everyone is getting slaughtered. It’s appalling.
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