Valerio Palombaro – Vatican
A new massacre in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Between 25 and 35 civilians were brutally killed on Saturday, February 7, in an attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — militias that have been terrorizing these areas for years and which pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State (IS) in 2009.
Instability on the border of North Kivu and Ituri
This time, the massacre took place near the village of Gelumbe, not far from Beni-Oicha, at the northern tip of the North Kivu region, almost on the border with Ituri province. The perpetrators are the same group that carried out the massacre in Byambwe, in the diocese of Butembo-Beni, last November, and killed over 40 civilians in an attack on a Catholic church in Komanda at the end of July.
Endless Horrors
“It’s a planned horror,” says Father Giovanni Piumatti, an Italian priest from Pinerolo and a long-time fidei donum missionary in the Congolese diocese of Butembo-Beni, conveying this news to Vatican media. The priest reports that desecrated, headless bodies and corpses lying along the roads were found at the scene. These are areas inhabited by Christian populations — both Catholic and Protestant — who have lived in a state of permanent fear for years due to repeated acts of violence.
Massacres have become — he adds — “routine,” as they have been recurring almost weekly for at least two or three years. Father Piumatti also explains that an aura of uncertainty surrounds the responsibility for this state of prolonged instability: many residents of these areas believe that there is a certain co-responsibility on the part of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), given that this phenomenon has not been stopped for so many years, despite cooperation also with the troops of neighboring Uganda.
Interests in the region
The instability in the Beni area reflects a broader situation in the Kivu region, encompassing the territories of Goma and Bukavu, which have been “occupied” and managed by pro-Rwandan M-23 militias for over a year. These are areas extremely rich in minerals and rare earth metals.
“The war in Kivu has claimed 10 million victims over the years, and the West has remained silent,” warns Father Piumatti. “The specific goal is to maintain chaos,” the priest emphasizes, pointing to various reasons, including “land ownership and valuable resources, and perhaps also tribal interests.”
