Churches closed as rebels attempt takeover of DRC city

Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are asking for prayer following recent turmoil as rebel group M23 attempt takeover.

Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are asking for prayer following recent turmoil in the country.

Earlier this week, on 26 January, M23 rebels marched into the city of Goma in eastern DRC. They have since gained control of large parts of the city, which is home to more than a million people and strategically significant as a vital trading and transport hub. Fighting between the rebels and the Congolese military has caused many to flee, while hospitals are overwhelmed with injured civilians caught in the crossfire and hundreds are feared dead. 

As well as Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province, local Open Doors sources say the M23 group has also taken over large swathes of territory in the Nyirangongo, Rutshuru, Walikale and Lubero territories in North Kivu.

Who are M23?

M23, also known as the March 23 Movement, is one of hundreds of armed groups active in eastern DRC. They take their name from a peace agreement that was signed on 23 March 2009, but the group officially formed in 2012. The group is led by ethnic Tutsis and former members of the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a rebel group.

The M23 rapidly gained territory after its formation in 2012 and seized Goma for the first time. Their actions were met with international harsh criticism and accusations of war crimes and human rights violations. In 2012, they took up arms again. It’s widely recognised that M23 is backed by the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF).

No electricity, water, telephone or internet

Several parts of Goma are without electricity and water, and telephone and internet lines have also been severed, making it difficult for Open Doors local partners to be in touch with residents affected. Videos online, and what little information we do receive from field contacts, suggest that the Congolese army has now regained control of Goma, but this is yet to be confirmed. As of today, the Government is still to comment on the ongoing situation. 

“The humanitarian situation in and around Goma remains extremely worrying,” Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office (OCHA), shared in a Geneva briefing, citing reports from staff in the city. “Hospitals in Goma are reportedly overwhelmed, struggling to manage the influx of wounded people,” he added. According to local UN workers, fighters are also reported to have committed sexual violence.

Foreign embassies targeted

In Kinshasa, DRC’s capital, police dispersed demonstrators who gathered to protest the M23 presence in Goma. Protesters turned violent, taking on foreign embassies. On Tuesday morning, the protesters targeted, vandalised, looted and set some on fire, the BBC reported.

“The embassies of Rwanda, Uganda, France and Belgium have been targeted by protesters in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, in a show of outrage at the ongoing rebel assault on Goma,” it said. “Earlier on Tuesday, a group of civil society activists called on people to stay at home and observe a ghost town as a sign of solidarity with government forces fighting to protect Goma.” 

Church services cancelled

As fighting continues, many activities within the city under M23 control have been cancelled, including most church services. Field sources indicate that, during one of their incursions, they threw a bomb at a church in Mabanga – part of the CECA-20 (Evangelical Community in Central Africa) group. This report still needs to be verified.

At this stage, it is not yet evident that the church is specifically targeted by the M23 rebels – but M23 has a history of targeting Christian civilians, further exacerbating the security situation for our brothers and sisters. As one example, in February 2024 M23 rebels found 14 Christian men working their farmland in North Kivu. The rebels demanded the men join their ranks – when they refused, the rebels killed them.

It is also clear, from previous similar incidents, that bad actors often use insecurity and instability like this to target Christians, especially converts from other faiths, with the aim of weakening the church in general.

Open Doors spokesperson calls for prayer

“Open Doors strongly condemns the attack on civilians and joins the calls on government at all levels to keep civilians safe and do everything in their power to restore peace to Goma,” states Jo Newhouse*, Open Doors spokesperson for work in sub-Saharan Africa. “The international community must do all in its power to prevent this current situation from developing into a long-lasting geopolitical crisis.

“Even before this attack on Goma, the people in eastern DRC have lived amidst ongoing insecurity. They are vulnerable and traumatised. The immediate and long-term human cost of the violence must not be allowed to continue in this manner.

“We further call on the international Christian community to remain in prayer over the devastating situation in Goma. Pray for an end to this incursion as government at all levels diligently, impartially and transparently address the violence and its effects. Pray for the church in Goma and eastern DRC as they seek to bring physical and spiritual assistance to the affected.”