By Cecilia Seppia
A terrorist attack on civilians took place on Friday night in the North Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing around 20 people, many of them sick and confined to hospital beds.
Despite a recent US-mediated agreement between DRC and Rwanda, fighting with the M23 rebel group continues unabated in the eastern provinces, while the central government also faces the growing threat of Islamist terrorism.
At around 10:00 PM local time on Friday, militants from the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces)—aligned with the so-called Islamic State since 2009—entered the town of Byambwe, in the Diocese of Butembo-Beni.
They attacked a diocesan health center run by the Sisters of the Presentation, massacred patients, and then set the entire facility ablaze, killing several women in the maternity ward. Assailants then rampaged through the village before fleeing into the nearby forest.
The attack was confirmed to Vatican News by Fr Giovanni Piumatti, an Italian priest who has served for over fifty years as a fidei donum missionary in the Congolese Diocese of Butembo-Beni. Although now back in Italy, he continues to follow events closely and remains deeply concerned for the country he long called home.
Systematic massacres
“This is a typical ADF attack,” Fr Piumatti explained. “Fifteen people were killed in the clinic and another five in the surrounding area. They set fire to the entire facility and twenty-seven nearby homes. Before destroying everything, they looted all the medical supplies—I believe that was their main objective. Panic spread everywhere. The army pursued them, but despite its efforts, the terrorists escaped. They seem to be better armed and equipped than the regular forces.”
“What is most tragic—beyond the sheer number of innocent victims—is the way they kill,” said Fr Piumatti. “They slit civilians’ throats, decapitate them—it’s horrific. Here they killed mothers as they were breastfeeding their babies. These massacres are beyond imagination, and they happen almost every week. Many go unreported.”
The perpetrators of the Byambwe attack are believed to be the same group that, on Jul 27, stormed a Christian church in Komanda (Ituri Province) during a religious service, armed with machetes and rifles, killing dozens of Christians gathered in prayer.
Pope Leo XIV forcefully condemned that assault during the General Audience of Jul 30, 2025.
“While I entrust the victims to God’s loving mercy, I pray for the wounded and for Christians around the world who continue to suffer violence and persecution,” said the Pope. “I urge those with responsibilities at both local and international levels to work together to prevent such tragedies.”
Mission of the dispensary
The religious sisters who run the hospital—the Little Sisters of the Presentation—provide vital medical care in a remote area of North Kivu that lacks functioning hospitals. They mainly assist women in childbirth, but the facility also includes clinics and surgical units.
“The ADF have been active in this region for at least three years,” Fr Piumatti continued. “Many of the fighters come from Uganda. They attack indiscriminately—on the roads, in villages, in the fields while people work. In addition to killing, they kidnap children and young people for training. They often act under the influence of drugs, and they drug the captives they abduct.”
“When preparing an attack, the adults strike first, then force the young recruits to continue the killing with machetes. They are utterly brutal,” he said.
Panic has gripped the area, and many villagers who fled their homes have not yet returned. The sisters, now working on the streets, continue to assist survivors however they can.
‘Shameful’ silence of the international community
As of Sunday, there appeared to be no casualties among the sisters, though many newborns are believed to have been kidnapped. “It is horrifying and heartbreaking to witness and hear such things,” Fr Piumatti said.
The missionary priest condemned what he called the “shameful silence” of the international community, denouncing the West’s complicity in supporting certain forms of violence and terrorism for economic gain.
“Kivu is rich in mineral deposits—a land full of precious resources that has always been contested,” said Fr Piumatti. “That is why these Islamist groups receive backing. The ADF are the most ferocious, but they are not the only ones supplied with weapons and money to keep trade flowing. These conflicts serve commercial interests—and the world’s silence is profoundly troubling.” – Vatican News
