Jihadist militiamen kill 14 Christians in Democratic Republic of Congo
Tragedy in North Kivu province: Christians martyred for faith
Fourteen Christians, some of them very young, were brutally murdered, at the hands of the jihadist group Adf (Allied Democratic Forces), because they refused to convert to Islam. It happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the border between North Kivu and Ituri provinces, specifically in the village of Eringeti, in the southeastern part of the country.
North Kivu the scene of violence
North Kivu province has become the center of a crescendo of such violence and attacks that are occurring weekly. Hundreds of men, women and children are victims of this terror perpetuated against Christian communities. The torture and attempted invasive indoctrination suffered by Christians in ex. Zaire, represent a tragic page in the contemporary history of this country, widely marked by decades of armed conflict, political instability, and violation of human rights
It needs to be made clear that the violence, physical and sexual, illegal detentions, assaults, killings, are not triggered only by religious motives, but also by the desire to control a territory rich in natural resources, particularly rich in coltan. All this makes Congolese society, a population trapped in a vortex of brutality and fear.
Constant terror of the population
Among the various war-scarred areas of Congo is Goma, capital of North Kivu province and sadly known in the Italian news. In fact, in February 2021, Ambassador Luca Attanasio, Carabiniere Vittorio Iacovacci, who was escorting him, and driver Mustapha Milambo were killed in an ambush as they were crossing this area with a World Food Program convoy.
The M23 Movement, one among dozens of armed groups in the country that plays a crucial role in the trafficking of mineral resources, operates in this territory.
A call to action
The ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a cry of alarm that cannot be ignored.
The international community, has intervened on Congolese territory through humanitarian support especially of refugees, applied international sanctions and deployed the presence of MONUSCO (United Nations Peacekeeping Mission) aimed at protecting civilians. More effort is still needed, however, aimed at promoting stability and peace in the country.
