43 Dead: Terrifying Holy Week Assault…

Islamist terrorists slaughtered 43 Christians on Maundy Thursday in a deliberate strike against faith during Holy Week, exposing the unchecked jihadist terror ravaging African communities.

Brutal Maundy Thursday Attack

Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) militants raided Bafwakao village in Mambasa Territory, Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, on the night of April 2, 2026. Attackers surprised sleeping residents, killing 43 civilians primarily through gunfire and machete beheadings. The village chief fell among the victims. Homes burned as families fled, with some trapped and burned alive. Abductions targeted women and children for forced labor or recruitment. This assault occurred during Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper, underscoring deliberate religious targeting.

Swift Government Response

National Assembly President Aimé Boji condemned the massacre that same day while opening a parliamentary session. Government spokesperson Patrick Muyaya announced intensified military operations by the FARDC against ADF networks. Muyaya urged civilians to stay vigilant, report suspicious activity, and cooperate with authorities in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. Coordination with local governors aims to secure remote villages. As of April 8, no further attacks hit Bafwakao, though ADF activity persists despite prior raids.

ADF’s Jihadist Campaign Against Christians

The ADF, originating as a Ugandan Islamist group in the 1990s, pledged allegiance to Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in 2019. This alliance escalated targeted killings of Christians, framed as war on “infidel Christians.” Since Christmas 2024, ADF claimed 590 such deaths. Commanders like Tanzanian Abuwakas drive mobile raids for loot, control, and ideological terror. Local collaborators enable attacks exploiting DRC army weaknesses. Broader M23-Rwanda tensions aid ADF mobility in eastern DRC.

Past incidents reveal patterns: February 2026 saw 70 beheaded bodies in Kasanga Evangelical church; September 2025 claimed 102 in Ntoyo village, many at a funeral. Komanda church lost 49, including nine children. Tactics include binding, beheading, and burning, hitting churches, hospitals, and vigils.

Devastating Impacts on Communities

Families of the 43-plus victims grieve amid displacement and fear in Mambasa and Ituri. Short-term effects include heightened military presence and mourning; long-term risks involve escalated persecution, ADF recruitment from chaos, and strained DRC stability. Looting disrupts village economies, beheadings cause social trauma, and church networks face repeated hits, hindering aid. Thousands of eastern DRC Christians have died since 2014, with humanitarian groups overwhelmed.

Expert Views on Religious Targeting

International Christian Concern (ICC) stresses the Maundy Thursday timing as intentional anti-Christian provocation. Long War Journal documents ISCAP’s ideological shift post-2025 raids, linking Abuwakas to Lubero violence. Aid to the Church in Need notes ADF’s use of hostages for labor and killing of the weak. Open Doors reports machete church attacks, mostly on Catholics. While some view ADF as general insurgents, persecution watchdogs affirm jihadist religious motives.