More than 40 Catholic worshippers have been killed in a brutal overnight assault during a prayer vigil at a church in Komanda, a town in the volatile Ituri province of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to local reports, the attack was carried out by suspected fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group affiliated with the Islamic State. The assailants opened fire on congregants before setting the church and surrounding homes ablaze. Several victims, including members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, were children. Others were abducted, and remain missing.
Initial death tolls vary, with some reports indicating 31 fatalities while others put the number at 43. Emergency teams continue to search for additional bodies amid the ruins.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation from religious and international leaders. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in the DRC described the killings as “an attack on humanity” and called for immediate action to protect worshippers in conflict-affected regions. Italy’s Foreign Ministry also denounced the assault and urged the international community to prioritize security in eastern Congo.
Human rights groups and civil society actors across the Great Lakes region have echoed demands for a stronger national and international response to the persistent violence. Calls have also intensified for the Congolese government and its partners to reinforce security measures around places of worship and civilian populations in Ituri and neighbouring provinces.
The ADF, originally based in Uganda, has operated in eastern DRC for over two decades. Its attacks on civilians, regardless of religious affiliation, have escalated in recent years, with hundreds killed or displaced. The group has also been linked to cross-border raids and mass abductions.
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