The attack, carried out on the night of September 8-9, 2025, claimed at least 64 lives, The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Congo militia with ties to the Islamic State, is blamed for the atrocity
Newsroom (18/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) has issued a fervent call for international intervention following a horrific massacre in Ntoyo, within the St. Joseph of Manguredjipa Catholic Parish in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The attack, carried out on the night of September 8-9, 2025, claimed at least 64 lives, many of whom were attending a wake. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia with ties to the Islamic State, is blamed for the atrocity.
According to ACN’s local sources, the assailants employed firearms, hammers, and arson in a calculated act of terror, selectively setting homes ablaze. “The attackers used extreme violence, targeting civilians in a premeditated manner,” ACN stated on September 17. Local authorities have begun burying victims and implementing heightened security measures in response.
Bishop Melchisédech Sikuli Paluko of Butembo-Beni expressed profound solidarity with the victims’ families, stating, “We stand in spiritual closeness to those affected by this horrible carnage.” He invoked divine strength through the Blessed Virgin Mary, praying for resilience and lasting peace amid ongoing suffering.
The ADF, formed in Uganda in 1995 and now active in the mountainous border region of Congo and Uganda, has a long history of brutality, including recruiting child soldiers, perpetrating sexual violence, and targeting civilians, particularly Christians. Since pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, the group has escalated its campaign of terror, with ACN noting its responsibility for multiple massacres in eastern Congo.
This latest attack follows a string of recent atrocities. On July 27, 2025, 43 people, including children, were killed in an overnight assault on a Catholic church in Komanda. In February, over 70 bodies, many bound and decapitated, were discovered in a Protestant church in Lubero. “The situation in eastern Congo is dire,” ACN reported, citing intensified violence in North and South Kivu, mass displacement, and a deepening humanitarian crisis. Despite martial law and the presence of Congolese forces, Ugandan troops, and a U.N. mission, the attacks persist unabated.
The DRC has been mired in conflict for over three decades, with violence surging since the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The situation deteriorated further in early 2025 when M23 rebels seized Goma and Bukavu, prompting church leaders to warn of a “silent genocide.” The Congolese bishops’ conference has condemned the ongoing “odious massacres,” highlighting the relentless murders and kidnappings plaguing the region.
ACN has called for prayers for the victims, their families, and the Christian community while urging the international community to act decisively. “Urgent measures are needed to protect civilians, ensure religious freedom, and establish lasting peace in a region tormented by over 120 militias operating with impunity in Ituri, North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika,” the charity declared.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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