64 Christians Slaughtered in Brutal Attack on a Catholic Parish in the DRC

Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is reeling once again after yet another act of unspeakable violence. At least 64 Christians were brutally murdered in a targeted attack on a Catholic parish, carried out by members of an Islamist rebel group.

This massacre adds to a growing wave of bloodshed and displacement in the region, underscoring the deep crisis gripping the Congo.

What Happened in the Parish Attack?

Eyewitnesses and local officials report that rebels stormed the parish, attacking worshippers with guns, machetes, and crude weapons. Families who sought refuge inside the church were trapped, and entire congregations were decimated. Survivors described the horrifying scene: pews drenched in blood, sacred spaces turned into sites of terror.

The group behind the assault is linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)—an Islamist militant faction with ties to ISIS. For years, the ADF has unleashed violence in Beni, Ituri, and North Kivu, slaughtering civilians, displacing families, and now targeting Christian communities in an explicit campaign of terror.

Why Christians Are Being Targeted

While the ADF’s campaign has always been ruthless, this escalation is chilling. The group has increasingly used religion as a weapon, branding local Christians as enemies while seeking to instill fear through high-profile massacres.

Targeting a Catholic parish is more than just an act of violence—it’s a psychological war. The Catholic Church is one of the most influential institutions in the Congo, often serving as a lifeline for education, healthcare, and aid where the state fails. By attacking it, the rebels strike at the very heart of community stability and faith.

The Wider Conflict: Millions Displaced, Hunger Rising

This attack doesn’t exist in isolation. Eastern DRC is a patchwork of over 120 armed groups, all fighting over power, land, and resources. The violence has displaced millions, with villages turned into ghost towns. And with the fighting disrupting farmland and trade routes, a quarter of the country’s population now faces food insecurity.

Meanwhile, M23 rebels—another powerful militia—continue to clash with government-backed forces, seizing mineral-rich regions and smuggling out valuable coltan used in smartphones and electric cars. The combination of terror attacks and resource wars has made daily life in Congo a fight for survival.

Where Is the International Community?

That’s the messy tea: the world watches, but little changes. The United Nations has condemned the violence, and peacekeepers remain deployed, but attacks like these keep happening.

The harsh truth? The minerals under Congo’s soil—coltan, gold, cobalt—are worth more to global markets than Congolese lives. Tech giants, governments, and international buyers benefit from the blood-soaked resources fueling their industries, while Congolese communities bear the brunt of unimaginable suffering.

The massacre of 64 Christians in a parish should shake the world’s conscience. But will it? Or will it fade into another statistic in a conflict that rarely trends in Western media?

For the people of eastern Congo, this isn’t just news—it’s their reality. Their churches, schools, and homes are under attack. Their faith is being tested daily. And their voices remain drowned out by the hum of a global economy built on their suffering.