DRC: Islamic State Murdered 639 Christians in First Half of 2024, “The People of God Are Resilient But the Violence Can Be Overwhelming”

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – A new study shows that Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) terrorists murdered 639 Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the first six months of 2024 alone, Christian Daily International reports.

The study was published by the US-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), a monitoring organization that collected data on ISCAP terror activity against Christians in five African countries – DRC, Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali – between January and June 2024.

Published by MEMRI’s Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor (JTTM), the report showed that ISCAP slaughtered 698 Christians across the five countries, with the overwhelming majority in DRC, during the first half of this year. The killings were conducted through beheading or shooting, often with accompanying photos and videos to “further terrorize” Christian communities, the MEMRI report said.

In a statement, Matt Schierer, a research fellow at MEMRI JTTM project, said: “All attacks occurred in the DRC’s northeastern provinces of North-Kivu and Ituri, which border Uganda. Fatalities also rose sharply toward the end of the timeframe, with ISCAP claiming to have killed 300 Christians in June alone.”

In a current statement about the situation facing Christians in DRC, the Open Doors international Christian advocacy organization says: “The situation in the DRC continues to be extremely violent and volatile for believers. The stories are heartbreaking, and the church is suffering—the people of God are resilient, but the violence can be overwhelming.” Wracked by chronic conflict and Islamic terrorism, DRC ranks 41 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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