by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - An Islamist terrorist organization operating in DR Congo is believed responsible for murdering 16 people and burning down a Catholic church in the northeastern Congolese province of Ituri, International Christian Concern reports.
The rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group is widely understood to be responsible for the ongoing spate of atrocities committed against civilians in DR Congo.
It has been reported that 13 civilians and three soldiers were killed in Sunday’s attack: although the DR Congo population is mostly Christian, Islamic extremists have so increased their levels of violence that the country now ranks 40th on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution, ICC said. The terrorists operate mainly in the eastern part of the county, where the government has very little control.
According to Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi, predominantly Christian DRC communities are attacked by Islamic extremists who have a group with a “clear Islamic expansionist agenda.”
“We need to pay attention to these events because what is happening in eastern DRC, the killing of innocent civilians on an almost daily basis, is an underreported tragedy,” Djadi said in a statement.
In its report ICC asked for prayer for those who have been severely impacted by the violence in DR Congo. “Please continue to pray for the healing of those traumatized by violence in the DRC, for the Lord to strengthen government protection over its people and bring peace to the nation, and for the love of Jesus to redeem the souls of those who persecute the church,” ICC said.