At least 53 Christians were killed on 15 January in two Islamist attacks in Lubero, North Kivu, north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP, also known as the Allied Democratic Forces) announced the killings in two social media posts, according to the Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC).

One of the two posts declared, “By the grace of God Almighty, the soldiers of the Caliphate attacked the village of Makoko in the Lubero region and killed 41 Christians [who] were stabbed with knives.”

The other post confirmed killing of 12 others in the village of Masakuki.

The terrorist group also abducted 16 Christians, as well as burning houses and motorcycles.

Attacks of this type have been carried out consistently by ISCAP since the group first affiliated to Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) in 2017. However, the scale and frequency of the attacks has increased in the past few weeks.

Relentless targeting of Christians

Including the 15 January attacks, at least 128 have been slaughtered in North Kivu and the neighbouring province of Ituri since Christmas Day 2024.

A TRAC analysis concludes that the brutality of these attacks underscore “the group’s relentless targeting of the Christian population in the region”.

“ISCAP’s repeated assaults on Christian civilians exploit the absence of a consistent security presence in the region,” the analysis continues.

“ISCAP’s tactic of successive attacks on the same village exacerbates the psychological toll on residents. By revisiting recently targeted areas, the group ensures an ongoing state of fear and insecurity among survivors.

“This strategy often results in higher casualties as panicked civilians struggle to navigate the aftermath of consecutive assaults.”