Terrorist attack in Congo resulted in the burning of a Catholic Church medical center, the death of a nun and six other people

Newsroom (23/10/2022 21:00, Gaudium Press) The night of October 19-20 were filled with moments of horror for the inhabitants of the small town of Maboya, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The village was the victim of an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group from Uganda, reported priest Roger Malengera, pastor of the Regina Pacis church.

The priest said it was a day of great desolation. The shooting started at about one o’clock in the morning.

Shortly before, nuns had warned that uniformed men were in front of the Catholic health center.

Destruction and Death

Father Malengera was on the phone with Sister Marie-Sylvie Kavuke Vakatsuraki, who had medical training, when the men forced their way into the health care facility. Minutes later, communication with the nun was interrupted.

The priest and the inhabitants took refuge in the vegetation around the town while they could hear shots and see smoke throughout the village.

Around 6:30 in the morning the inhabitants began to return to their homes. The health center building was partially burned. The nun was found burned along with another patient in the hospital center. In addition, five other people were killed in the village.

Attacks Against the Population in the East of the Country

According to reports, the criminals fled in the direction of Graben. The police coming from 80 kilometers away did not arrive in the area until later.

For the pastor of Regina Pacis, the intention of the terrorists is to kill the population “little by little” and explained that there have already been several attacks in eastern Congo.

Father Malengera called for an urgent intervention of the government to protect the inhabitants and their properties. (FM)
Compiled by Camille Mittermeier.