Latest news with #DieudonneDuranthabo


Asharq Al-Awsat
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
ISIS-backed Militants Attack a Catholic Church in Eastern Congo, Killing Dozens
ISIS-backed militants attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. "The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, UN-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the ISIS group, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to ISIS. The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda.


Newsweek
21 hours ago
- Newsweek
30 Christian Worshippers Killed During Night Vigil in Church
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. More than 30 Christian worshippers were killed during a prayer vigil in a church in the northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a jihadist group linked to the Islamic State, is believed to be responsible for the killings, according to Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, who spoke to The Associated Press. The Context The DRC has been in a nearly continuous state of war and conflict for more than three decades, but violence has surged recently, with advancement of the March 23 Movement (M23), which has captured strategic locations, including the cities of Goma and Bukavu. ADF is another rebel group involved in the violence. The deadly attack underscored the escalating violence targeting Christian communities in the region. People gather around the charred remains of a vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern Congo, on July 27, 2025. People gather around the charred remains of a vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern Congo, on July 27, 2025. AP What To Know The attack on the Catholic church began at around 1 a.m. on Sunday, while the parish was celebrating its 25th anniversary Armed members of the ADF stormed the church in Komanda while more than 100 worshippers were gathered for a prayer vigil, according to local residents cited by The New York Times. The attackers, described as armed with guns and machetes, killed at least 34 people, according to Duranthabo. Other estimates from the U.N. peacekeeping mission and local officials have placed the death toll at up to 43, including nine children. Video footage from the aftermath showed burning structures and bodies scattered inside the church. Several houses and shops nearby were also set ablaze in the attack. The church's priest said some children, mostly between the ages of 12 and 14, were taken hostage by the militants, according to the New York Times. The ADF has been linked to numerous assaults on civilians in eastern DRC, often targeting Christian congregations. Originating in Uganda in the 1990s and affiliated with the Islamic State since 2019, the ADF has a reputation for extreme brutality, including beheadings and kidnappings of civilians. In February, Newsweek reported on how the ADF is believed to have beheaded 70 Christians in a church in the province of North Kivu. What People Are Saying Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, described the aftermath to the Associated Press: "The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church." Vivian van de Perre, deputy chief of Monusco, the U.N. peacekeeping mission in the region: "These targeted attacks against defenseless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international humanitarian law." What Happens Next The massacre has renewed debate over Congo's security situation and the protection of religious minorities. With the recent drawdown of U.N. peacekeepers and a fragile peace process unfolding with other rebel factions such as M23, security forces are stretched thin across the region. The United Nations, provincial authorities, and international advocacy groups have called for urgent measures to improve the protection of civilians and places of worship.


Herald Malaysia
a day ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Massacre in Congolese Catholic church kills at least 31 worshippers
An armed group linked to the Islamic State on Sunday killed dozens of worshippers at a Catholic church in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo while they were participating in a prayer vigil. Jul 28, 2025 Credit: chayanuphol/Shutterstock By Walter Sánchez Silva An armed group linked to the Islamic State on Sunday killed dozens of worshippers at a Catholic church in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of Congo while they were participating in a prayer vigil. According to the BBC, members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) stormed a church in the town of Komanda, where they shot and killed the worshippers, then looted and set fire to nearby businesses. Komanda is in the Ituri province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, an area rich in minerals and whose control is disputed by several armed groups. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a coordinator of civil society in Komanda, told the Associated Press: 'More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside [the church] and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. But the search is continuing.' Aime Lokana Dhego, a local priest, told AFP: 'We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured. Some young people were kidnapped; we have no news of them.' On the other hand, Radio Okapi estimated the number of dead at 43. Italy Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Sunday condemned the massacre through his X account: 'I express the strongest condemnation of the attack on a church in Komanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a terrorist group linked to ISIS killed more than 40 civilians.' 'Places of worship must always be preserved and religious freedom must be protected. Italy stands in solidarity with the families of the victims and the Congolese people,' he added. What is the ADF? The ADF emerged in Uganda in the 1990s, according to the BBC, accusing the government of persecuting Muslims, but is now based across the border in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where they regularly attack civilians of all religions, as in Uganda. Vatican News said the ADF is 'responsible for the murder of thousands of people. Two weeks ago they killed 66 people in the Irumu area.' Jamil Mukulu, a Christian convert to Islam, is the founder of the ADF, which in early 2024, according to Vatican News, perpetrated an attack also in the eastern part of the country in which at least eight people were killed, five of them while praying, and 30 others were taken hostage.--CNA


Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
34 killed after Islamic State-backed rebels attack Catholic church in eastern Congo
Islamic State-backed rebels attacked a Catholic church in eastern Congo on Sunday, killing at least 34 people, according to a local civil society leader. People gather around the charred remains of a burned vehicle following a deadly attack in Komanda, Ituri province of eastern Congo(AP) Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt. "The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,' Duranthabo said. Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock. At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. 'They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,' Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP. Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes. Lt. Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities in the Komanda church attack. However, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi reported 43 deaths, citing security sources. The attackers reportedly came from a stronghold about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from Komanda and fled before security forces arrived. Duranthabo condemned the violence in what he said was 'a town where all the security officials are present.' He called for immediate military intervention, warning that 'the enemy is still near our town.' Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni. In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The Congolese army (FARDC) has long struggled to contain the group, especially amid renewed conflict involving the M23 rebel movement backed by neighboring Rwanda.


Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Up to 43 dead after attacks on church and homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo carried out by Islamic State linked group
Up to 43 people have been killed in an attack on a church and homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo carried out by a group linked to Islamic State. Fighters for the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) gunned down around 20 worshippers participating in a night vigil, according to local officials in Komanda, a town in the north-east of the country. They also looted and set fire to various nearby shops and businesses and razed several homes to the ground, the BBC reports. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in the town, suggested that more bodies could yet be found following the merciless attack. He said: 'More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside [the church] and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. 'But the search is continuing,' he added. Local priest Aime Lokana Dhego, meanwhile, said: 'We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured. 'Some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them.' The priest added that a further seven bodies had been discovered elsewhere in the town. The UN-sponsored website Radio Okapi calculated that 43 had died in the slaughter, but an army spokesperson said he could only confirm 10 deaths. Komanda has been highly coveted by a range of armed groups over the years as it is located in the country's mineral-rich Ituri province. The ADF first rose to prominence in neighbouring Uganda in the 1990s, where they accused the government of persecuting Muslims. The group has since moved across the border where its fighters often murder people of all religions, while also continuing similar operations in Uganda. It has become incorporated into IS's Central African Province, which also features a group in Mozambique to the east. Almost 90 per cent of Islamic State's operations are now executed by affiliated bodies in Africa, according to BBC Monitoring research. In a bid to stem such attacks, the Democratic Republic of Congo let Ugandan soldiers into the country in 2021, but it did little to reduce the killing. That year, at least 22 people were killed - 13 of whom were beheaded - by ADF members in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They attacked villagers near the town of Beni, around 80 miles from Komanda in the country's northeast. An unspecified number of women and children were among the dead, officials said at the time, adding that bodies are still being recovered from the surrounding jungle. Several more villagers were believed to have been kidnapped, but the exact number of missing was unclear. A four-month-old baby was found alive on the back of one of the victims and was thought to have been orphaned, along with their six brothers and sisters. Attacks have continued in the area in the intervening period, with the ADF often exchanging fire with the country's armed forces.