by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - Terrorists with the Islamist rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) murdered nine people in a devastating attack on a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Saturday, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
The Jun. 6 ADF massacre took place in Mununze village in the Rwenzori region of Beni territory, ICC reports. The killers threw the bodies of the deceased into the nearby Loulo River.
“The tranquility of our village was shattered by these cruel actions, leaving a trail of sorrow and despair in its wake,” Masumbuko, a survivor of the attack, told ICC. “Though some of us managed to escape, many families were torn apart, their cries echoing through the now somber streets. The sense of security that once enveloped our village has been replaced by fear and anguish,” Masumbuko said.
Local village leader Manara said in a separate statement to ICC that Mununze villagers were suffering even greater grief after realizing the bodies of their dead had been dumped in the river they use for drinking water and domestic work. “The murder of innocent lives casts a shadow of mourning over the once vibrant community,” Manara said. “Out of the nine people who were killed and thrown in river Loulo, we managed to get only four bodies. The other five bodies have not been seen yet.”
In a statement condemning the killings, the bishop of Beni Anglican Church said: “The memory of those who lost their lives will forever be etched in our hearts as a solemn reminder of the urgent need for unity to end these actions. As the church, let’s stand together as an eye of hope amidst despair. May we honor the memory of the fallen by striving for a world where such senseless acts of violence have no place and where every life is cherished and protected.”
Plagued by over 100 militant Islamist groups, Christian-majority DRC ranks 41 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.