70 Christians murdered in DRC
Open Doors International
24 February 2025
Village in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Credit: Open Doors International
On February 13, 2025, militants rounded up 70 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), took them to a church, and then killed all 70 of them.
Open Doors field sources say the violence began at about 4 a.m. on Thursday, February 13, 2025, as militants captured and tied up some 20 Christians in the community of Mayba. The militants are suspected to be members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group with ties to the Islamic State group. "
[M]ilitants went door by door saying, 'Get out, get out and don't make any noise,'" says an elder in another town about 40 km from Mayba. "Twenty Christian men and women came out, and they tied them up for an unknown destination." Mayba is predominantly Christian and is located in the North Kivu province in eastern DRC, which has also been home to fierce fighting as another rebel group has taken over territory.
After the 20 were taken, the rest of the village was agitated and began to try to figure out how to free the people who had been abducted. They gathered together to develop a plan, but by the time they met, militants had surrounded their village. Open Doors sources report that the extremists captured about 50 other Christians and tied them up. All 70 captives were taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga where they were killed inside with machetes or hammers.
Field sources say that even several days after the attack, some families had not been able to bury their dead because of the insecurity in the region. Many Christians have fled the area to somewhere deemed safer. "We don't know what to do or how to pray; we've had enough of massacres," said an elder in a nearby church.
"May God's will alone be done." "Open Doors strongly condemns this heinous act of violence against civilians and calls on civil societies, governments and international organizations to prioritize civilian protection in eastern DRC where armed groups such as the ADF are operating," says John Samuel*, Open Doors' legal expert for our work in sub-Saharan Africa.
"The violence takes place in a context of impunity, where almost no one is held accountable. This massacre is a clear indicator of widespread human rights violations against civilians and vulnerable communities, often targeting Christians, perpetrated by ADF—an ISIS affiliate.
"We further call on the international Christian community to remain in prayer for Christians and vulnerable communities in eastern DRC," Samuel continues. "Pray for an end to violence and that government at all levels will diligently, impartially and transparently address the violence and its effects. Pray for the church in the Lubero territory as she seeks to bring physical and spiritual assistance to the families affected."
This is one of the deadliest attacks in the Lubero territory since the ADF started attacks there recently. ADF fighters have killed more than 200 people in this part of the DRC, according to a local news website. The ADF has long carried out brutal attacks in North Kivu province.
Thousands of Christians have been displaced multiple times or killed, houses have been looted and burned down, schools have been relocated, churches and health facilities have been forced to close, and several Christian villages have been abandoned because of the violence.
Pray with believers in the DRC:
Pray that God will comfort those who have lost loved ones and possessions.
Pray that God will strengthen the faith of Christians living in areas threatened by the ADF.
Pray for insecurity in the east of the DRC, that the Lord's intervention will stop the attacks and calm the situation.
And pray for the ADF, that the Lord will bring them to repentance and into relationship with Him. If they harden their hearts towards God, pray that He will confuse their plans.
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