Comments

You have commented 375 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Africa Subsaharan

Analysis: The Islamic State’s war on Christians in Congo

2025-12-13

By Caleb Weiss & Ryan O'Farrell

Long, detailed, just what one expects from the LWJ people. A taste:

[LongWarJournal] As the Trump Administration touts an ostensible peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda, another deadly, albeit less-talked-about conflict is also raging in eastern Congo. Since January 2025, the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP), colloquially known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), has killed at least 967 civilians in various massacres, with most, if not all, of the victims being Christian villagers.

Most of these massacres have been perpetrated in Congo’s North Kivu Province, specifically in its Lubero territory. This locale is not particularly far from the conflict between the DRC and the Rwandan-backed M23 Movement that the Trump Administration is trying to stop.

The largest of these massacres came in September, when ISCAP murdered at least 90 people in two locations in eastern Congo. In both cases, the Islamic State made clear that the explicit targets of the attacks were Christian civilians. This ideological framing against Congolese Christians has consistently grown in the last few years.

In the larger of the two incidents that day, ISCAP militants brutally slaughtered at least 72 people, including 26 at a funeral wake, in the village of Ntoyo in North Kivu Province’s Lubero territory. This number is likely a low estimate, as some local officials stated that the death toll was as high as 102, while others reported that at least 100 others were believed to be abducted by the group. Various vehicles and houses were also burned down by the militants.

The Islamic State was relatively quick to claim the massacre, stating the following day that its men “killed upwards of 100 Christians.” The communique also noted that ISCAP’s fighters burned dozens of houses and vehicles, confirming local reports.

Given the locality, the Ntoyo massacre was likely carried out by Abuwakas, an especially radical and violent ISCAP commander of Arab Tanzanian descent. His highly mobile camp is particularly known for its wanton violence against locals, having been responsible for most of the violence in the northern Lubero territory over the last year.

The second incident, occurring in Fotobu, northwest of the city of Oicha in North Kivu’s Beni territory, left another 18 civilians dead after they were abducted from their fields. In the Islamic State’s official claim of responsibility for that massacre, it again framed the attack as against local Christians.

It is possible, though unconfirmed, that the massacre near Oicha was carried out by field commanders belonging to Mzee Mayor’s forces. Mzee Mayor, a veteran Ugandan ISCAP commander, and his mobile units have been responsible for most of the violence in Ituri and north of Beni town over the last few years. Though Mzee Mayor also operates a physical camp, he often deploys mobile units for months-long operations.

Attacks by both ISCAP commanders have continued in their respective areas of responsibility, particularly within Abuwakas’. Since September, his mobile camp has been responsible for the deaths of at least another 138 civilians. This total includes three massacres in October that resulted in 45 dead civilians and two massacres in November that killed 54. The militants perpetrated dozens of smaller attacks during the same period, killing another 56 civilians.

More at the link

Posted by:badanov

00:00