The victims, showing signs of torture, had been decapitated and had their hands tied.
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A macabre discovery shocked the local community in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the lifeless bodies of 70 Christians were found inside a church in the town of Kasanga, in the North Kivu province.
The victims, showing signs of torture, had been beheaded and had their hands tied. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, the massacre was attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militia, linked to the Islamic State.
The horror began three days earlier, when heavily armed men, allegedly belonging to the ADF, related to the terrorist group, stormed the village of Mayba, in the Lubero territory. There, under death threats, they forced residents to abandon their homes.
Terroristas en el Congo.
In that initial assault, at least 20 Christians were taken hostage. Later, when the villagers attempted to organize a rescue, the strikers returned and kidnapped another 50 people, raising the total number of captives to 70.
The victims were taken to a Protestant church in Kasanga, where they were brutally executed. Among them were children, women, and elderly, which caused great panic and desperation in the region.
The severe security situation hindered the recovery of the bodies, which remained in the temple for several days due to the impossibility of organizing burials under safe conditions.
El Estado Islámico en África.
The impact of this atrocity caused a mass exodus of Christians who flee in search of refuge in safer areas. As a result, many churches, schools, and health centers closed their doors, leaving the population even more vulnerable to the uncontrollable violence of these terrorist groups.
The Allied Democratic Forces, considered one of the bloodiest militias in eastern Congo, intensified its attacks in recent months. However, its actions were partly overshadowed by the growing offensive of the M23 rebel group, which recently took control of the city of Goma.
The security crisis led the UN to warn of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region, with more than 350,000 displaced due to the constant clashes between armed groups and the Congolese Army.
