On the night of March 18, a group of men armed with machetes broke into the home of the Missionary Sisters of Santo Domingo in the municipality of Kimbanseke in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The intruders broke through a wall, threatened the sisters, and robbed the place, taking everything valuable they could find.

Father Clet-Clay Manvemba, Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Kinshasa, expressed Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa’s stance on this matter in a statement.

“The Cardinal expressed his solidarity with the religious who were victims of this barbarism and encouraged them to resist and be guided by the light of hope. He took the opportunity to call on the various congregations to increase their vigilance without giving in to panic or fear.”

In connection with the case, a police report was filed immediately. This incident showcases how the mob violence and insecurity grow in the Congolese capital. Criminal gangs indiscriminately target civilian and religious institutions as well. The government of the DRC is trying to deal with the gangs and conducted several raids during which hundreds of gang members were arrested and sentenced. Since the DRC brought back the death penalty, many of them were sentenced to death.

Source: Agenzia Fides