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Islamic Jihadists Massacre Dozens of Congolese Christians

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An Islamic terror group targeted and murdered nearly 50 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The series of brutal attacks began at beginning of May, leaving many dead and more running for safety.

Islamic jihadists stormed the predominantly Christian eastern region of the Congo on the night of May 4, murdering approximately 34 people, including eight women and four children.

"Between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m., the enemy managed to get past army positions and kill peaceful residents in their homes, slashing their throats," local administrator Bernard Amisi Kalonda told Agence France-Press after the May 4 attack.

Two days later assailants killed 13 people, including two from the mission, Church on the Rock.
 
The terror group is called Muslim Defense International and has operated for more than 20 years. The last couple of years have been the bloodiest. According to the United Nations, the group has killed more than 500 people in the area since 2014.

The constant violence in a region of the Congo that is more than 95 percent Christian has forced many to flee. The threat of bloodshed has even forced Church on the Rock to shut down its missions and schools.

"We are heartbroken, questioning our faith, half-terrified, but determined and carrying on," Church on the Rock's founder Mike Anticoli told World Watch Monitor. "We may be targeted due to the fact that we train local leaders and aspiring missionaries from several churches and denominations."

 

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle