70 Christians beheaded in Dr. Congo

Yaoundé, Cameroon – about 70 bodies, including those of women, children and elderly, were discovered on February 15 in a church building in the village of Maiba, on the Lubero territory of the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (RDC) .

Civil civilians say that these people – who were found, tied and decapitated – were killed with knives. No armed group has claimed the responsibility for killing, but there is increasing suspicion that the massacre was made by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – an allied militia to the Islamic State.

International Christian concern cites local sources as revealing that people were all Christians.

He says that the members of the militia have detained many Christian villagers before binding to a local Protestant Church and beheaded with models.

Pontic charity aid to the church that need reports that ADF works both in Uganda and RDC and has terrorized the local population for more than a decade.

“The Islamist groups have intensified attacks and attacks on isolated villages, already killing thousands of Congolese civilians,” he said.

ADF is just one of the more than 120 M23 militias M23 supported by Rwanda-Lupta in the east of the RDC and struggles largely for mineral resources and the territorial control that led to the death of thousands and to the movement of millions.

The most recent 70 Christian massacre may seem persecutions, but Maria Lozano, the director of the Press Department and Media International, says there must be a closer analysis to determine the reasons.

“We cannot speak of persecution throughout the country, because most of the violence that occurs in the RDC has no religious connection. It is important to be cautious and avoid the simplification or deception of people in our analysis, ”she said Cruel.

She explained that the recent massacre could result from “a mixed reason”.

“One of them is that these victims could not resist or endure the forced march. When the rebels take hostages, they force them to travel with them, either as reinforcements for their group or as forced work for their war effort. When there is prey, they need people to wear it. If you get tired on the road you are done. I think that’s what happened to these 70 people. The church was the best place to get rid of them, ”she said Cruel.

She said that the fact that people were killed in a church does not necessarily mean that they were targeted in anti-Christian pogroms.

“Most of the struggles in the RDC is related to the competition for resources,” she said.

DRC is an incredibly rich country, with its mineral richness estimated at $ 24 billion.

This vast wealth includes a variety of minerals that are essential for various industries and technologies.

For example, its vast cobalt tank is essential for the production of rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones and laptops. Its cobalt is widely used in electrical cables, sanitary installations and electronics. Its corner (Columbite-Tantalit) is used to produce tantalum capacitors, which are vital components in electronic devices, such as mobile phones, laptops and cameras, and its gold is used in jewelry, electronic and as a financial asset.

Lozano argues that the lure of such mineral wealth happens to be the main engine of the RDC conflict.

“These (armed) groups engage in extremely profitable activities, especially in the exploitation of the abundant natural resources of the region. It is obvious that Islamization is not their main purpose. For example, Coltan refineries work in Rwanda, despite the fact that the country has no own corner resources. This rare mineral is extracted from the RDC and illegally exported across the border to Rwanda, ”she said Cruel.

Another reason not to see in haste bonds between massacres and anti-Christianity is that the nations involved in fights, Uganda and other countries are largely Christian nations.

However, under the exploitation of minerals, there could be a group with a double purpanpose: adf.

Lozano said the group has “a clear religious component”.

“In recent years, ADF, with links with the Islamic state, has been responsible for violent incursions and it has been reported that this group specifically concerns Christians,” she said.

“I reported about ADF attacks against Christians already in 2021 and 2024; And, in fact, the Islamic state itself has claimed the responsibility for North Kivu attacks, ”she explained.

However, Lozano is prevented by all the reasons in which the armed groups presented to perform the attacks, explaining that the holiness of human life is all that they should count and, therefore, there should be no justification for its termination.

“It is important to emphasize that the fact that there is a” reason “behind the massacre does not make it better or more justifiable. The kidnapping of the victims, their use as forced work or their inspection is by no means an acceptable way to treat human beings. This type of abuse is an extension of violence, and similar situations have occurred in other contexts. For example, in Nigeria, we have witnessed hundreds of women forced to work as slaves in terrorist camps, where their lives are useless and are merciful. This emphasizes the deeply dehumanizing nature of these conflicts, ”she said