The targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: defending religious freedom and security

In this non-legislative resolution, Parliament addresses targeted attacks against Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, describing decades of violence in the eastern DRC involving armed groups including the Rwanda-backed M23 and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has pledged allegiance to ISIS. It recalls documented attacks attributed to the ADF, including church bombings and the killing of civilians, many of them Christian, and notes that religious violence undermines freedom of religion and worsens intercommunal tensions. The resolution refers to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion in the DRC and the obligations of state authorities and rebel groups under international humanitarian law, including protecting civilians and facilitating humanitarian access. It notes that over 7 million people are displaced by the ongoing conflicts, with women and children particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and trafficking, and that Operation Shujaa, a joint DRC-Ugandan offensive against the ADF, has been affected by resources diverted to the M23 conflict.