Open Doors’ local partners have been able to confirm that all 70 individuals violently killed in Mayba by suspected extremists from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were Christians.
Mayba is a predominantly Christian area with no mosque. It’s situated in the Lubero region, North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Locals recount that at about 4am on Thursday, 13 February 2025, the extremists captured and tied up about 20 Christians in the community.
An elder in Matuna, 40km from Mayba, remembers, “They went door by door saying, ‘Get out, get out, and don’t make any noise’. Twenty Christian men and women came out, and they tied them up for an unknown destination.”
The rest of Mayba’s community was restless and gathered to think of a way to free those kidnapped. During the gathering, at about 6pm, the same extremists surrounded the village. Open Doors’ local partners report that they captured another 50 Christians, tying them up.
The captives were taken to a Protestant church where they were killed with hammers or machetes.
A Community Destroyed by Violence
Muhindo Musunzi, director of Kombo Primary School run by CECA20 Church, explains that prior to this incident, churches, schools, and health centres had all shut their doors and relocated because of the life-threatening situation.
Open Doors’ local partners report that some families were unable to bury their dead until last week because of the insecurity in the area.
Many Christians have fled to find safety.
“We don’t know what to do or how to pray; we’ve had enough of massacres. May God’s will alone be done,” says an elder of CECA20 Church.
This is one of the deadliest attacks in the Lubero area since the ADF attacks began. According to a local news website, extremists have killed more than 200 people in region over the past month.
The ADF’s attacks first intensified in North Kivu’s Beni region in 2014. Over the years, they have spread to Irumu and Mambasa regions, and now to Lubero.
Thousands of Christians who suffered multiple displacements have now been killed. Houses have been looted and burnt down, schools relocated, churches and health facilities closed, and several Christian villages abandoned.
Pray for the DRC
- Ask God to comfort those who have lost loved ones and possessions.
- Pray for the faith of believers in areas of insecurity to be strengthened.
- Pray for the Lord’s intervention to stop the attacks and calm the situation.
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