AFRICA/DR CONGO - Massacre in the Church of Blessed Anuarite; Bishops: "It is paradoxical that in Ituri, where a state of siege has been in effect since 2021, massacres continue to occur"

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Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – A call to the faithful not to give in to panic and a strong exhortation to state authorities to assume their responsibility in protecting the population. This is how the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) reacted to the massacre that occurred in the parish church of Blessed Anuarite, during the night of Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27, in Komanda, in the diocese of Bunia, Ituri province, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Just a week earlier, also in Ituri, the John of Capistrano Church in Lopa had been desecrated in the same province (see Fides, 23/7/2025).

After condemning the attack—which left at least 30 dead and a dozen injured—and expressing their condolences to the families, the Congolese bishops expressed their deep indignation. “This latest massacre outrages us even more because it took place in one of the provinces where a state of siege has long been in effect, supported by the joint action of the Congolese army (FARDC), the Ugandan army (UPDF), and the UN Peacekeepers of the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).”
The state of siege was declared in May 2021 in Ituri and North Kivu, with the aim of allowing the army to eradicate the multiple armed groups that have sown terror in the region for years (see Fides, 7/5/2021).

“However,” CENCO emphasizes in a statement sent to Fides, “it is paradoxical that massacres and kidnappings continue to occur precisely in these provinces.”
“It is surprising that, after so many years of atrocious massacres, the authorities responsible for security have failed to identify the true culprits. No convincing explanation has been offered to reassure the population,” the bishops state, suggesting that hidden interests may lie behind the armed groups. “Is this series of murders the result of a deliberate plan? Who benefits from these crimes that have been committed against innocent citizens for years?” the prelates ask.

The attack on the Blessed Anuarite Church was claimed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan-born group that has operated for decades in eastern DRC, particularly in North Kivu. In 2019, the ADF joined the Islamic State (see Fides, 24/6/2023), adopting a distinctly jihadist profile. Claims for the Komanda massacre were disseminated specifically through the Islamic State's social media channels. In its fight against the ADF, the Congolese army has the support of the Ugandan army, deployed in Ituri, a region rich in resources such as gold, exploited by hundreds of artisanal mines that escape the control of the Congolese authorities. In contrast, the desecration of the church in Lopa was attributed to a non-jihadist armed group, CODECO, which, according to some sources, enjoys the support of the Congolese army (see Fides, 7/23/2025; on the origins of CODECO, see Fides, 25/9/2024).

Finally, the bishops reiterate the need to relaunch the joint initiative of CENCO and the Church of Christ in Congo (ECC) (see Fides, 13/2/2025), an ecumenical project they believe can contribute to stemming the spiral of violence in the region. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 29/7/2025)