A devastating attack on a Catholic congregation in Komanda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has drawn global condemnation after at least 49 worshippers were brutally killed during a night vigil.
The assault, carried out by militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) – a group affiliated with the Islamic State – occurred in the early hours of Sunday morning as Christians gathered to pray for peace.
Armed with machetes and knives, the attackers stormed the church, targeting worshippers in what has been described as one of the deadliest religiously motivated massacres in the region this year. Among the victims were nine children. In addition to the killings, nearby homes were torched and several villagers abducted.
International bodies swiftly responded. Pope Leo XIV expressed profound sorrow, stating, “May the blood of these martyrs become a seed of peace, reconciliation, fraternity, and love for the Congolese people.” The Vatican emphasized the Pope’s spiritual closeness to the victims and their families.
The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) condemned the attack as a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
The U.S. State Department also issued a statement, reaffirming its 2021 designation of the ADF as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and denouncing the violence as a “cowardly act against Christians in their place of worship.”
Illia Djadi, a senior researcher for Open Doors – a global Christian advocacy group – warned that the ADF’s goal is to establish an Islamic caliphate in parts of the DRC, echoing the horrors seen in Iraq and Syria. Djadi noted that sub-Saharan Africa has become a new epicenter of jihadist violence, with Christians facing increasing persecution.
The tragedy in Komanda follows a string of similar attacks. Earlier this year, 70 Christians were reportedly beheaded in another church massacre in the DRC. In Nigeria, violence has escalated even further; Pope Leo XIV recently highlighted the killing of 200 Christians in Benue State on June 13.
According to Open Doors International’s 2025 World Watch List, Nigeria alone accounted for 69% of all Christian deaths globally in the latest reporting period – 3,100 out of 4,476.
Despite diplomatic efforts, including a peace initiative led by former U.S. President Donald Trump between the DRC and Rwanda, security remains fragile.
Djadi emphasized that while government forces are focused on containing the M23 rebel group in urban areas, rural communities remain exposed and vulnerable to ADF atrocities.
The ongoing violence shows the urgent need for comprehensive protection of civilians, regardless of faith or ethnicity. As Djadi warned, “If the ADF continues its killing unopposed, the consequences are too horrific to imagine.”
