At least 43 people, including nine children, were killed and over a dozen injured in a brutal attack on a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), on Sunday (27 July).
The assault, blamed on the Islamist Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), has ended months of relative calm in the region. The attack occurred during a prayer vigil, with rebels using guns and machetes to target worshippers. Homes and shops near the church were also torched, and several people remain missing. ADF, which pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019, has intensified attacks on civilian “soft spots” like churches and markets, despite joint operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces.
Local MP Gratien Iracan said the attack had been anticipated. “The ADF are known, identified and located. Places of worship are recurring targets. The local authorities had already warned of the risk,” he noted. MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission, condemned the violence, calling it “targeted attacks on defenseless civilians … contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law.” ADF is responsible for more than half of all civilian deaths in DRC’s conflict zones, according to the UN. Despite years of military operations, the group remains a potent threat, exploiting security gaps to inflict devastating harm. Civil society leaders in Komanda are now urging immediate military reinforcements, warning the rebels remain dangerously close to the town.