At least 17 dead in an attack on a church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

15 Jan. (EUROPA PRESS) –

At least 17 people have died and twenty more have been injured in a bomb attack carried out this Sunday against an evangelical church in Kasindi, a border town between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, as reported by the Congolese government, which attributes the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

The spokesman for the Sokola I operational command of the North Kivu region, scene of the explosion, Captain Anthony Mualushayi, has confirmed the detention of a suspect of Kenyan nationality for questioning.

The Government has “vigorously” condemned this attack carried out in full mass celebrated in the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches of the Congo and that it would “obviously” be the work of the ADF, according to the Congolese news portal Actualité.

“The security services have taken control of the place after an explosion that caused several deaths and material damage. The wounded are being evacuated to medical facilities,” explained the Congolese Ministry of Communication. “Investigations are being carried out to detect the origin of this terrorist act,” he added.

The authorities have reiterated the recommendations to “avoid crowds” and “be alert” in this area, which is a recurring target of ADF attacks, particularly on the Beni-Kasindi highway.

“The results of the previous investigations in progress will be communicated in the next few hours. The Government wants to convey its saddest condolences to the families of the victims of this despicable terrorist act,” said government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, quoted by the Radio station. Okapi.

The ADF is a Ugandan group created in the 1990s, especially active in the eastern DRC and accused of the killing of hundreds of civilians in this part of the country.

The group went through a split in 2019 after Musa Baluku — sanctioned by the United Nations and the United States — swore allegiance to the jihadist group Islamic State in Central Africa (ISCA), under whose banner it has operated since then. The increase in their attacks on Ugandan soil and the claim of an attack in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, led both countries to launch joint operations in eastern DRC.