“Ituri is bleeding”: Caritas in DR Congo Condemns Ongoing Massacres, Calls for End to State of Siege

He says the attack has caused “widespread panic and mass exodus to Bunia, Beni, and Kisangani, suspension of economic and religious activities, and a worsening humanitarian crisis due to the influx of displaced people.”

The Caritas Bunia reflected on the series of violence that has hit Ituri province in recent times.

“In July 2025 alone, more than a hundred people, including women and children, have been savagely assassinated in attacks of unspeakable brutality,” he recounts.

The Congolese Catholic Priest also recalls the July 21 desecration of the church of St. John Capistran Parish of Bunia Catholic Diocese by rebels of the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO).

He said that the atrocities led Bishop Dieudonné Uringi Uuci of Bunia Diocese to close the Parish, postponing its reopening indefinitely.

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Fr. Zanamuzi further says the July 27 attack, attributed to rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) active in the region for over a decade, “appears to be a deliberate targeting of the Christian community.

The attack, he says, also exposes what he describes as “utter failure of the State of Siege, imposed for four years despite local opposition and without tangible results.”

“Caritas Bunia strongly condemns this latest massacre, which once again highlights the ineffectiveness of the state of siege. It also denounces: The forced continuation of military rule, imposed against the will of the local population,” the Caritas Bunia Director says.

He calls for an immediate lifting of “the state of siege, an ineffective and rejected measure, replacement of all military and police personnel deployed in Komanda during the July 27 massacre, and in Lopa during the July 21 atrocities, and an urgent overhaul of civilian protection strategies to prevent further tragedies.”

Fr. Zanamuzi implores “all belligerents to spare civilians, who are innocent victims of a conflict beyond their control.”

He urges the Congolese government to act decisively to impose peace, and adds, “Their silence and passivity amount to criminal complicity, and the international community to investigate these crimes and hold perpetrators accountable.” 

While extending his “deepest condolences to the biological and spiritual families of the victims, who died as witnesses of their faith,” Fr. Zanamuzi also “prays for God’s mercy upon Ituri, a land martyred by daily bloodshed.”

“May their sacrifice inspire us to continue the fight for justice and peace,” he adds.

Fr. Zanamuzi invites the people of God in Ituri Province to “remain united, for unity is strength. ‘Divide and conquer’ remains the strategy of enemies of peace. Let us firmly reject hatred, division, and political manipulation. Let us cultivate community solidarity stronger than ever.”

Jude Atemanke is a Cameroonian journalist with a passion for Catholic Church communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Buea in Cameroon. Currently, Jude serves as a journalist for ACI Africa.