DR CONGO: Bishop condemns ‘umpteenth’ massacre where 64 people killed by jihadists
A bishop has condemned the “horrible carnage” after more than 60 people were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a message to Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Melchisédech Sikuli Paluko of Butembo-Beni condemned the brutal attack carried out by Islamist extremists in Ntoyo village, in Saint Joseph of Maguredjipa parish, North Kivu, on 8th September.
The slaughter has been attributed to the armed group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) which is affiliated with Daesh (ISIS).
Local sources told ACN that the massacre left at least 64 dead, many of whom were killed while taking part in a wake.
The attackers used firearms and hammers, and some homes were set alight.
Local authorities have begun to bury the victims and implement new security measures.
Bishop Paluko told ACN: “To all the families affected by this umpteenth and horrible carnage… and to all the faithful of the parish, we express our spiritual closeness.
“May God, the Master of Life, strengthen us through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, consoler of the afflicted, and lead us beyond the desert of present-day suffering to lasting peace.”
The ADF Islamist insurgent group, which is originally from Uganda, has been responsible for massacres in eastern Congo, characterised by their extreme violence against civilians, especially Christians.
The attack in Ntoyo follows several recent atrocities. On 27th July, at least 40 people, including many young people, were murdered during a prayer vigil in a church in Komanda, Ituri.
In February, more than 70 corpses were found in a Protestant church in Lubero, many of them had their hands bound and had been decapitated.
ACN is asking people to pray for the victims of this atrocity, for their families and for the entire Christian community.
The charity is also calling for urgent action by the international community to protect civilians, ensure religious freedom and work for a lasting peace in the DRC’s eastern provinces, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika, where more than 120 militias operate.