Christians Slaughtered in Midnight Church Attack
A horrifying new wave of violence has shaken the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as Islamist militants stormed a Christian church and hacked worshippers to death with machetes while they prayed for peace.
The United Nations reports that at least 49 people, including nine children, were brutally killed during the attack, which took place at 1 a.m. last Sunday in the eastern town of Komanda. According to local sources, the congregation was gathered for an all-night vigil when members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — a rebel group tied to ISIS — stormed the church, mercilessly attacking everyone inside. Nearby homes were also set ablaze, and several villagers were abducted.
Global Condemnation
The atrocity has sparked worldwide condemnation. A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department called the massacre a “cowardly act of violence against Christians in their place of worship,” adding, “The United States designated the ADF, also known as ISIS-DRC, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2021. We strongly condemn this attack on innocent civilians.”
The United Nations’ stabilization mission in the region, MONUSCO, called the attack a “heinous act” and a serious violation of human rights and international law.
According to Illia Djadi, a senior researcher for Christian charity Open Doors, the attack is part of a broader strategy by the ADF to terrorize and destabilize Christian-majority regions of the DRC.
“The ADF have a very clear aim: they want to turn a large part of DRC into an Islamic caliphate, like the horrific one instigated in Iraq and Syria in 2014 by Islamic State,” Djadi said.
In an interview on Tuesday, Djadi warned that sub-Saharan Africa has become the “new epicenter of jihadism,” with Islamic State-affiliated groups expanding their reach. Christians make up an estimated 80–95% of the population in the DRC, making them frequent targets.
A Pattern of Bloodshed
This is far from the first time Christians in the DRC have been targeted. In February, 70 Christians were reportedly beheaded during a church massacre. The violence is even worse in neighboring Nigeria, where Pope Leo XIV recently lamented the “extraordinary cruelty” of attacks that killed around 200 people in a single incident in June.
According to Open Doors International’s 2025 World Watch List, 3,100 of the 4,476 Christians killed worldwide in the latest reporting period were in Nigeria alone — a staggering 69% of all recorded Christian deaths.
Despite a peace initiative spearheaded by President Donald Trump between the DRC and Rwanda, attacks have continued in eastern Congo. The government is focused on combating the M23 rebel group in urban areas, leaving rural Christian villages like Komanda exposed to ADF brutality.
