Summary

A recently published report by Amnesty International has revealed the full extent of a massacre committed by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State-affiliated group, against Christian civilians in Ntoyo village, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on September 8, 2025. According to Amnesty International and corroborating sources including Al Jazeera, Human Rights Watch, and UN OCHA, ADF militants disguised themselves as mourners and attacked a funeral wake using axes, machetes, hammers, and firearms, killing at least 71 people in Ntoyo and 18 more in nearby villages. The attack is part of a broader campaign of sectarian violence by the ADF/Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP), which has targeted Christian communities across eastern DRC. The massacre triggered mass displacement and drew attention to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, as agencies struggled to respond amid insecurity and underfunding.

  

Detailed Report

1. The September 2025 Attack in Ntoyo, North Kivu
On the night of September 8, 2025, approximately ten ADF fighters infiltrated a funeral wake in Ntoyo village, Bapere sector, Lubero territory, North Kivu. Disguised as mourners, the militants waited until late evening before launching a sudden assault with axes, machetes, hammers, and firearms. According to Amnesty International and UN OCHA, at least 71 civilians were killed in Ntoyo, with an additional 18 deaths reported in concurrent attacks on the nearby villages of Fotodu and Avey. The attackers also set fire to around 30 homes and vehicles, burning some victims alive. The ADF later claimed responsibility, boasting of having killed nearly 100 Christians.

 

2. Survivor Testimony and Eyewitness Accounts
Amnesty International’s investigation included interviews with 71 survivors, witnesses, humanitarian workers, and police officers. Survivors described the attackers ordering people to gather before “starting cutting them,” with one man witnessing his sister killed with an axe. Another survivor recounted finding her mother killed with a hammer and her father shot dead the next morning. The report’s title, “I’d Never Seen So Many Bodies,” is drawn from a survivor’s account of the aftermath. The absence of security forces during the attack was a recurring theme in testimonies.

 

3. Deliberate Targeting of Christians
Multiple sources, including Amnesty International, Al Jazeera, and Open Doors USA, confirm that the victims were predominantly Christians, targeted while attending a religious wake. The ADF’s pattern of violence in the region has consistently focused on majority-Christian communities, with attacks often timed to coincide with religious gatherings or services. The Soufan Center documented a similar attack in July 2025, when ADF militants killed at least 43 Catholic civilians during a prayer vigil in Komanda, Ituri province.

 

4. Scope and Methodology of the Amnesty International Report
The Amnesty International report, published May 4, 2026, is based on extensive field research and direct interviews. It documents not only the September 2025 massacre but also a broader pattern of atrocities by the ADF, including abductions, forced labor, sexual violence, and attacks on health facilities. The report includes direct quotes from survivors and calls for urgent action to protect civilians and ensure justice.

 

5. ADF/ISCAP: Origins and Islamic State Affiliation
The ADF originated in Uganda in the 1990s and relocated to eastern DRC, where it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 and was recognized as ISCAP. UN Group of Experts reports from December 2024 and June 2025 confirm the group’s integration into the Islamic State’s global network, with operational, financial, and propaganda links. The ADF/ISCAP has adopted IS branding, tactics, and recruitment strategies, intensifying its campaign against Christian communities.

 

6. Patterns of Violence and Civilian Casualties
ACLED data and Human Rights Watch reporting indicate that the ADF was responsible for over 1,600 civilian deaths in 2024, the deadliest year on record for the group. At least 450 civilians were killed in the first quarter of 2025, and the July–September 2025 period saw at least 376 civilian deaths attributed to the ADF. The group has shifted from hit-and-run raids to territorial occupation, religious coercion, and deliberate targeting of Christian gatherings with bladed weapons to maximize psychological terror.

 

7. DRC Government and Local Authority Response
The DRC government condemned the September 2025 attacks as terrorist acts, confirmed the death toll, and pledged to support North Kivu authorities and deploy additional troops. A military justice investigation was opened, and the government vowed to destroy ADF bases. However, Amnesty International, Al Jazeera, and survivor accounts consistently note that security forces arrived only after the attackers had fled, raising concerns about the effectiveness of protection measures.

 

8. Humanitarian Response and Ongoing Crisis
The massacre triggered mass displacement, with more than 31,000 people fleeing their homes. Humanitarian agencies, including Médecins Sans Frontières, IOM, and WFP, provided emergency medical care, shelter, and food assistance, but access was hampered by insecurity and underfunding. The 2025 Humanitarian Response Plan for DRC required $2.6 billion to assist 11 million people but was only 15% funded by September 2025. The ongoing violence has contributed to over 7 million internally displaced people in DRC by late 2025.

 

Conclusion

The September 2025 massacre in Ntoyo, North Kivu, represents one of the most egregious recent examples of sectarian violence by the ADF/ISCAP against Christian communities in eastern DRC. Amnesty International’s report, corroborated by multiple independent sources, documents the deliberate targeting of civilians and the broader pattern of atrocities. Humanitarian agencies continue to face significant challenges in providing relief and protection amid persistent insecurity and severe underfunding.