ACN denounces new massacre in Ntoyo as situation in eastern Congo deteriorates
International Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) expresses its deep concern and solidarity with the families of the victims of a brutal attack carried out on September 8 to 9 in Ntoyo, in the parish of Saint Joseph of Manguredjipa, in the province of North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The attack has been attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). According to local sources close to the charity, 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 selectively set alight, suggesting that this was a premeditated act of terror. Local authorities have begun to bury the victims and implement new security measures.
The ADF is an Islamist insurgent group originally from Uganda. In 2019, the ADF formally aligned itself with the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (IS-CAP). The group has been responsible for a number of massacres in eastern Congo, which have been characterised by their extreme violence against civilians, especially Christians.
In this context of pain, ACN seconds the condolence message sent by Bishop Melchisédech Sikuli Paluko of Butembo-Beni: “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.”
This attack follows several recent atrocities which ACN has previously denounced. On 27 July, at least 40 people, including many young people, were murdered during a prayer vigil in a church in Komanda, Ituri. In February, over 70 corpses were found in a Protestant church in Lubero, many of them had their hands bound and had been decapitated.
The situation in eastern Congo can only be described as dire. The violence has intensified all over the region of North and South Kivu, leading to massive displacement of populations and a serious humanitarian crisis. Although many provinces have been under martial law for years, with a heavy presence of Congolese armed forces, Ugandan troops and a UN mission, the attacks continue.
The Congolese Bishops’ Conference has denounced the fact that in these regions the population continues to suffer from murders and kidnappings, describing the killings as “odious massacres” carried out against innocent faithful.
ACN reaffirms its commitment to the Church in the DRC, which is one of the ten countries which receive the largest amount of aid from the charity, and calls for prayers for the victims of this new atrocity, for their families and for the entire Christian community.
The charity also calls for urgent action by the international community to protect civilians, ensure religious freedom and work for a lasting peace in this region which struggles under the yoke of over 120 militias and violent groups which operate with impunity in the eastern provinces of the DRC, including Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu and Tanganyika.
