By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
KINSHASA (Worthy News) – Pope Francis has urged the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) government to end the massacres by Islamic fighters in the east of the country and protect civilians, including Christians.
He spoke after local authorities reported that up to 80 people, many of them Christians, were killed in a series of attacks on villages in the Beni area allegedly perpetrated by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.
Also known as Oicha territory, Beni is part of the North Kivu province.
“Painful news of clashes and massacres continues to arrive from the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo,” he said before launching his plea.
“I appeal to the national authorities and to the international community to do everything possible to stop the violence and safeguard the lives of civilians,” Francis said, and he noted that among the victims, many are Christians.
“I appeal to the national authorities and to the international community to do everything possible to stop the violence and safeguard the lives of civilians.”
Describing them as martyrs, he said the sacrifice of Christians “is a seed that germinates and bears fruit, teaching us to bear witness to the Gospel with courage and consistency.”
ATTACKS LAST MONTH
The attacks, which began last month, followed other such killings in the Central African nation during which assailants also stole motorcycles and set fire to houses during their incursions, sources said.
Villagers fled their homes to take refuge in Kyatsaba, in the western part of the city of Beni, and in Mabalako, where the General Reference Hospital is overwhelmed with patients, officials confirmed.
The ADF, which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilizing a region where many militant groups are active, the Vatican said.
Experts say the rebel group started as a Ugandan insurgency and has operated from eastern Congo for nearly three decades.
Officials and rights activists said the latest attack brings the death toll due to ADF attacks in the DRC over the past month to nearly 150.
Separately, DRC authorities are also battling the Rwanda-linked M23 rebels, who also mainly operate in the eastern region of the country.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel have delivered a trove of documents to Congress detailing donation patterns to the Clinton Foundation from foreign and domestic entities, reigniting scrutiny over whether critical evidence was withheld from federal investigators who sought to examine pay-to-play allegations a decade ago.
A war of words erupted between Turkey and Israel this week as plans advanced for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s U.S.-brokered peace plan — a force intended to oversee the fragile ceasefire, disarm Hamas, and restore stability to the war-torn enclave.
President Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark warning to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying the justices have been given “the wrong numbers” in a pending case that challenges his authority to impose tariffs under emergency powers — a decision he warned could trigger a $3 trillion economic collapse and endanger America’s national security.
After a grueling overnight session stretching into the early hours of Tuesday morning, the House Rules Committee voted 8–4 along party lines to advance a bill aimed at ending the longest government shutdown in U.S. history — now entering its 42nd day. The measure, supported by all Republicans on the panel, moves next to the full House for a vote Wednesday, where GOP leaders are confident it will pass.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced Tuesday that France will assist the Palestinian Authority (PA) in drafting a constitution for a future Palestinian state, following a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas at the Élysée Palace. The move comes as part of France’s broader push to promote a two-state solution after recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September.
Venezuela has launched a massive two-day military mobilization involving nearly 200,000 troops as the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, arrived in Latin American waters Tuesday, significantly escalating regional military tensions.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he was “deeply saddened” after a Turkish military cargo plane carrying 20 personnel crashed Tuesday in Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan, and officials feared there were no survivors.