Christian charity Open Doors has warned that the beheading of 70 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could be just one of many such slaughters, unless the international community acts immediately.

The Islamist extremist group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out the gruesome attack in Mayba, a village in eastern DRC, on February 13. All the victims are believed to be Christians and members of local churches.

“This was not just an act of terror. It was a targeted massacre of Christians, and it will not stop here,” said Illia Djadi, Open Doors’ Senior Analyst for Freedom of Religion and Belief in Sub-Saharan Africa. “The ADF is part of a growing extremist network that wants to wipe out Christianity in the region. If nothing is done, more attacks will follow.”

The attack comes amid worsening violence in the DRC, where rebel group M23 has taken over large parts of North and South Kivu provinces.”

“The chaos created by M23 has opened the door for the ADF to continue its campaign of terror with total impunity,” says Djadi. “Christians in the region have been abandoned. They are completely unprotected, and the world is not paying attention.”

The ADF, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS), has been waging a violent campaign against Christians in the DRC for years. The group targets churches, kills pastors, and displaces entire Christian communities. According to Open Doors researchers, at least 355 Christians were killed for their faith in the DRC last year.

Djadi believes that international pressure could be effective in preventing further bloodshed. “We have seen before that international pressure works. In 2012, M23 was stopped when the US and others put diplomatic and economic pressure on Rwanda to withdraw its support. We need that kind of leadership again. Governments must speak up now before more lives are lost.”

As well as urging governments to act, Open Doors is calling on Christians in the UK to respond in prayer and action. “We must pray for our brothers and sisters in the DRC who are facing unimaginable horror,” says Djadi. “But we must also act. We need to raise awareness, contact our MPs, and demand that the UK government speaks out. If we stay silent, more Christian lives will be lost.”

(Open Doors)