The brutal conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has taken one other horrific turn, as 70 missing people were found beheaded inside a Protestant church in Kasanga following an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.
According to Vianney Vitswamba, the coordinator of the local Community Protection Committee, the victims had been tied up contained in the church near the Mayba area. They had been held hostage for several days before being massacred with machetes.
The ADF rebels, certainly one of the deadliest armed groups within the DRC, are known for his or her brutal tactics and have been linked to ISIS, leading many to categorise them as a terrorist organisation. They are only certainly one of the various armed groups which have fuelled the decades-long conflict in eastern Congo.
The violence in eastern Congo is driven by a fancy mixture of ethnic tensions, rebel groups, resource exploitation, and foreign influence. The conflict dates back to the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, which led to an influx of Hutu militants into the region, destabilising it further. Over the years, quite a few factions including ADF and M23 rebels, have battled for control over land, mineral resources, and political influence.
Most recently, the M23 rebels, allegedly backed by Rwanda, have seized control of key strategic locations, including Goma and Bukavu, the country’s second-largest city.
The ongoing violence has claimed nearly 3,000 lives, left 2,000 others injured, and displaced countless people, deepening an already severe humanitarian crisis where over 20 million individuals have required aid.
Humanitarian employees are grappling with overcrowded hospitals and the chance of disease outbreaks, while alarming reports of sexual violence, including rape and sexual slavery, proceed to surface.
As fighting between government forces and opposing groups escalates, the United Nations has raised alarm over the worsening humanitarian crisis, reporting that greater than 350,000 people have been left without shelter.
Amid the deepening crisis, Christian leaders and government officials have urgently called for a ceasefire, stressing the necessity for dialogue, humanitarian relief, and lasting peace to stop further suffering.
