Islamic State (IS) has lifted its voice to confess it was behind the heartbreaking murder of 17 people, with scores more injured, after they stormed a Protestant church in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The violent attack happened in Beni territory, North Kivu province, on July 28, during the Sunday service, that is. Beni territory, North Kivu, Congo is the location of the attack. ISIL, via its official Amaq News Agency, announced that it was behind the assault, with security officials on the ground and the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO agreeing with the militants statement.
Besides that, the terrorists declared that these fighters affiliated with the Islamic State were the ones to perpetrate the assault on the church; however, the inquiry is still ongoing, and no details about the targeted Protestant church have been given yet.
The government of Congo reacted by rejecting the attack with utmost disgust and promising that it would take even tougher security measures in the region. On its part, MONUSCO felt the attack as a serious crisis in the pattern of escalating violence against civilians and demanded the implementation of measures to protect the defenseless.
Both the UN and AU went further to issue statements that call for more stringent and efficient cooperation among the member states of the region to halt the cancer of terrorism that has infested the whole eastern Congo region.
According to the available data, the perpetrators are the Allied Democratic Forces, a group affiliated with ISIL, which has maintained a decisive position in the eastern part of DR Congo and has been highly active in targeting the nonviolent population for quite some time.
As a result of these violent episodes, Beni territory has suffered a spiral in violence and has become the preferred hideout of terrorists. The joint operations of the Congolese and Ugandan armies against the border region-based rebels continue.
These events led to a serious humanitarian crisis in the area as many of the locals sought refuge in the villages surrounding it. Emergency cases were treated by medical teams that were sent for this purpose. Leaders of the community asked not only for increased security measures but also for more resources to be distributed to the families affected by the situation.
In their reaction, the DR Congo military carried out several missions with the regional security forces that led to more joint patrols in the area where the event was reported. The police are yet to make any arrests.
The security questionnaire is still underway. Please stay alert at all times, and I am positive that the authorities will emphasize, which is the very need of cooperation with your local security agents in overcoming the crime problem when they carry out their operations
