Source: www.persecution.org
Date: September 26, 2021
DRC (International Christian Concern) – According to The Independent, at least 11 people were killed on Thursday night by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), in an attack on a shopping mall in Ituri province.
“The ADF rebels attacked the Komanda shopping mall and its surroundings on the night and fired several shots,” reported the news agency.
“Several residential houses and commercial buildings were also set on fire by the rebels during the attack. Security sources in the area said the DRC’s army launched counteroffensive to repel the rebels who retreated into the forest nearby.”
For years, dozens of armed militias have wreaked havoc in the DRC, a predominately Christian nation. The largest among these groups is the ADF, an affiliate of ISIS whose primary aim is to create an Islamic Caliphate in Central Africa.
The UNHCR reported an “alarming increase” in attacks by ADF in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since the start of this year, putting the country at number 40 on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution. “These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi stated in reference to the rebel group.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for peace and comfort for those who lost loved ones in this attack. Pray for healing for any who were injured. Pray for an end to ADF-led violence in the Congo. Please also pray for the Lord to strengthen government protection over its people and bring peace to the nation, and for the love of Jesus to redeem the souls of those who persecute the church.