Islamic insurgents have killed at least 100 people in eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo, just since the start of the year. Senior analyst at Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors Illia Djadi warns that Christians, 95% of the population of the DRC, are being killed daily attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces -- an Islamic insurgent group that also goes by Muslim Defence International. “Christian communities are being attacked by an Islamist extremist group with a clear expansionist agenda," he said. Djadi, who works for Open Doors's Freedom of Religion or Belief in Sub-Saharan Africa division, said the attacks are "remarkably similar to what groups like Boko Haram are doing in northeast Nigeria". "The ideology, the agenda of establishing a 'caliphate' in the region, and the way they operate is the same. We can see how they afflict terrible suffering on innocent people. This is deeply worrying; we really need to pay attention to these events," he said. “At Open Doors, we are urgently calling on the national government and the international community to do everything they can to protect innocent lives and to restore peace in this troubled region," Djadi continued.
9:42 AM
Mass killings of Christians in the DRC a "neglected tragedy"
Attacks by ADF have increased in number and intensity since the Congolese army launched its large-scale offensive on the group in October 2019.
Ferdie Rous

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