43 people killed after Islamist fighters attack worshippers at a church in DRC's Ituri province

United Nations peacekeeping force MONUSCO has condemned an attack by Islamist ADF fighters in Ituri province that left 43 people dead.

More than 40 people have been killed in an attack by an affiliate of the so-called Islamic State in the DRC’s northeastern Ituri province, the United Nations peacekeeping force MONUSCO said on Sunday. Nine of the dead were children.  

Most of the victims were Christians attending a night vigil at a church in the town of Komanda when they were attacked by fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, wielding machetes. At least 15 people were injured and shops and businesses looted and set alight. Several people were abducted, MONUSCO said in a statement.  

“These targeted attacks against defenceless civilians, particularly in places of worship, are not only appalling but also in violation of all human rights standards and international humanitarian law. MONUSCO will continue to work tirelessly alongside the Congolese authorities to protect the population in line with its mandate,” said Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Protection and Operations and Acting Head of MONUSCO.

The ADF originated in Uganda in the 1990s but is now based in the DRC. MONUSCO said the group was responsible for a separate attack in Ituri province in early July that killed 47 people.

Last week, the UN peacekeepers warned of a resurgence of violence in the region by the ADF and other armed groups, calling for all foreign armed groups to lay down their weapons unconditionally and return to their countries of origin.