On 15 January 2023, a bomb exploded during a Sunday service in a Pentecostal church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The attack occurred in Kasindi in the northeastern province of North Kivu, close to the Ugandan border.[1] The attack killed at least 17 people and left 39 more were injured.[2] The Islamic State – Central Africa Province (IS-CAP) claimed responsibility for the attack.[3][1][4]
| Kasindi church bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the ADF insurgency | |
 | |
| Location | Kasindi, North Kivu, DR Congo |
| Coordinates | 00°02′52″N 29°41′11″E / 0.04778°N 29.68639°E |
| Date | 15 January 2023 |
| Target | Pentecostal church |
Attack type | Bombing |
| Deaths | 17 |
| Injured | 39 |
| Perpetrator |  Islamic State |
Reaction and response
editAuthorities in the DRC blamed the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan Islamist group whose insurgency began in 1996 and spread to the DRC; the group has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. A Kenyan national was arrested at the scene.[5][6]
Pope Francis sent his condolences to the victims of the bombing ahead of his scheduled visit to the DRC in 2023.[7] Peter Mathuki, then-Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), condemned the " horrific attack on worshippers" in a statement.[8] The government of France issued a condemnation of the attacks, stating it "expresses its full solidarity with the Congolese people at this difficult time".[9]
References
edit- ^ a b "Bomb detonates in DRC church, linked to ADF". New Vision. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "DR Congo government blames rebels for Kasindi church bombing". BBC News. Archived from the original on 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ "Several killed in DR Congo church bomb attack". Al Jazeera. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Bomb detonates in DR Congo church, linked to ADF". MSN. Archived from the original on 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
- ^ Kabumba, Justin; Maliro, Al-Hadji Kudra (15 January 2023). "Congo's Army Says Church Bomb Kills 10, Extremists Suspected". Independent. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Several Killed in DR Congo Church Bomb Attack". Al Jazeera. 15 January 2023. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
- ^ "Pope, ahead of Congo visit, sends prayers for church bombing". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ "EAC Secretary General Condemns Church Bomb Attack In North Kivu, Eastern DRC". East African Community. 2023-01-16. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
- ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo – France condemns the bomb attack in a church in Kasindi (15 Jan. 2023)". France Diplomacy - Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. 2023-01-15. Retrieved 2024-06-22.
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