Source: www.persecution.org
Date: January 6, 2023
DRC (International Christian Concern) – Recently, a joint military operation between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo successfully rescued over one hundred civilians who were being held hostage by the Islamic extremist group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
The military task force launched airstrikes on the ADF rebel camps in the Mwalika and Nzulube valleys for over two months before the rescue operation.
One of the women who was recently rescued described her escape from the ADF. She told media outlets, “The soldiers arrived when we were in the middle of praying. They were firing several bullets, which allowed us to flee and we were in the middle of the bush.”
The ADF started in the 1990s as a force opposing the alleged mistreatment of Muslims by the Ugandan government. They later expanded their operation to the DRC, where they have now grown and spread in the provinces of Ituri and North- Kivu. It is the most violent of the over 120 armed groups in eastern DRC. ICC has previously reported on the brutal crimes the group has committed against Congolese civilians, including many Christians.
The DRC ranks 40 on the 2021 Open Doors World Watch List for Christian persecution. “These predominantly Christian communities are attacked by an Islamic extremist group with a clear Islamic expansionist agenda,” Open Doors spokesperson Illia Djadi stated about the rebel group.
HOW TO PRAY: Pray for healing for those who survived this traumatic ordeal. Praise God for the successful rescue of those held captive. Pray for an end to ADF-led violence throughout the DRC.