Jihad and Genocide in the Congo // FAI ONLINE

At least 52 people were killed and dozens more injured last month as an Islamist militia continues to terrorize the northeastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The “Allied Democratic Forces,” a radical Islamic group originating from Uganda, have targeted Christians and other non-Muslim groups across the border in the DRC’s unstable Ituri and North Kivu provinces for several years. A church bombing during Sunday services on January 15 killed 14 people and maimed over 60, followed by several village raids on the 22nd and 29th, killing at least 38 more, including women. An unknown number of civilians were also abducted by the jihadis, including women and male children, who are often impressed into sexual slavery and military service, respectively.

*A map highlighting the unstable provinces of Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu in the DRC, bordering Uganda and Rwanda, where the ADF and other violent militias are active (via VOA).*

The ADF has been active in Uganda since the mid-nineties, where it was one of the tribal and religious militias which formed in the wake of the Tutsi Genocide in neighboring Rwanda, a conflict which spilled over the borders of that nation into Burundi, Uganda, and the DRC. The effects of the 30-year-old genocide can be seen in the DRC to this day, where over 120 militias compete for power and resources in the scenic but lawless eastern territories. Then in 2018, the ADF pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and became the terror group’s franchise in Central Africa. Like Boko Haram, its fellow ISIS affiliate in West Africa, the ADF seeks to exploit the instability of border regions between African nations in order to carve out territory for its self-proclaimed Caliphate.

The presence of a UN peacekeeping force has done little to abate the reach of the ADF, although the Congolese military has become increasingly focused on confronting the jihadist militia. A recent air force bombing campaign and several ADF camp raids have achieved some limited success, including a joint DRC-Ugandan raid against an ADF camp on February 1st which freed over 100 prisoners. However, the lack of state control along the DRC-Uganda border and the deep-rooted corruption in the Congolese government and military continue to inhibit efforts at counterterrorism, leaving many Congolese civilians frustrated and desperate for help while the death toll continues to climb week after week.

We ask the Maranatha global family to continue in intercession for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo. We pray that God would place a Divine hedge of protection around the harassed and helpless people of Ituri and Kivu provinces, that God would raise up leaders of courage and integrity in the DRC government and military, and that the Father of Lights would shine on the Congolese churches, where He has set his people as sheep among wolves, that they might bear witness to the hope that lies within them.

Maranatha.