Religious freedom panel warns of attacks against Christians in central Africa

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) sounded the alarm over Islamic State groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo after escalating violence against Christians.

Violence is escalating against Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the Islamic State group, a militant organization, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

USCIRF said in a March 31 report that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Democratic Republic of Congo (ISIS-DRC), have been “carrying out a sustained pattern of attacks in eastern DRC that represents a direct assault on religious freedom, particularly for Christian communities in North Kivu and Ituri provinces.”

“Early 2026 has brought no respite from ADF violence, as the group has continued to carry out attacks on predominantly Christian areas,” the report said. “In one display of its depravity, the group executed around 70 civilians in a Christian village in North Kivu in February, beheading men, women, children, and elderly victims alike.”

The report said the latest attacks are part of a continuing trend of violence, which it traced to 2024, when it said ADF fighters “reportedly carried out multiple assaults on predominantly Christian villages and church gatherings in and around Beni, North Kivu, including attacks on prayer meetings and the killing of local pastors and congregants.”

The report also noted attacks that occurred in July of that year, with ADF fighters killing an estimated 40 Christians, in addition to numerous abductions and forced displacement, “that prompted some churches to suspend services or close altogether.”

The pattern of violence escalated in 2025, the report said, with attacks on Christian villages in North Kivu and in Kasanga in February, as well as “a major assault on worshippers attending a night vigil at a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, killing dozens of men, women, and children gathered for prayer.” Further attacks took place over the course of the year, the report said, including strikes on Christian villages, funeral wakes, and facilities.

The commission noted the Trump administration’s efforts to address security concerns in the DRC through the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity between the DRC and Rwanda, as well as targeted sanctions against human rights offenders and militant groups, but noted “insecurity remains high.”

“The ADF and other nonstate actors represent persistent threats to religious communities in the area, as mass killings, abductions, and attacks on places of worship continue to generate widespread fear, drive displacement, and disrupt communal religious life,” the commission said in the report. “These challenges highlight the pressing need for sustained security operations, strengthened accountability, and robust civilian protection measures in the DRC to ensure that all are able to live, worship, and practice their religion or belief freely.”

Members of the National Episcopal Conference of Congo (CENCO) have condemned violence in the region, pledging not to remain silent in the face of the worsening security and humanitarian crisis in a statement following their March 23–25 plenary assembly.

“Our goal is to contribute, among other things, to the promotion of the inalienable dignity of the human person and to the well-being of the Congolese people. Therefore, in the face of the degrading security and humanitarian situation of our country, we will not be silent,” the faith leaders said.