By Pascal Ibe
Claim
An X user, @ImtiazMadmood shared a gory image that shows slain people alongside the claim that Islamist ISIS in the DR Congo killed over 200 Christians recently.
Verdict
The image attached to the claim is MISLEADING. Reports have confirmed that there were killings of Christians in Congo’s North Kivu province. However, results from Image Reverse Search on Google Lens showed that the picture attached to the claim was a previous image of an attack in 2024 in the same region and not a recent one.
Full Text
An X user, @ImtiazMadmood has posted a a gory image that shows slain people alongside the claim that Islamist ISIS in the DR Congo killed over 200 Christians recently.
In a post on X, the user shared a photo with a caption that reads, “
“Graphic Warning: Democratic Republic of Congo DRC Islamists ISIS have murdered more than 237 Christians between January and February in villages across the North Kivu province. Homes were torched, and many are missing.”
The post generated over 434k views, more than 5.5k likes, and 3k reposts, according to X analytics.
Verification
Results from Image Reverse Search on Google Lens showed that the picture attached to the claim was a previous image of an attack in 2024 in the same region and not a recent one.
A Congolese local news organization, Le Quotidien, in June 2024, reported how the Congolese Government condemned the attack by ADF terrorists, which left 41 dead in the localities of Masala, Mahihi, and Keme, Beni territory, in North Kivu.
The image attached to the claim was seen in the June 2024 publication.
A more reputable news organization, BBC, also reported the attack in June 2024.
The photo was also circulated on many social media accounts, especially on the X platform in June 2024.
Although, credible reports confirmed that there were killings of Christians in Congo’s North Kivu province recently.
According to FOX News, more than seventy Christians were recently beheaded with machetes or large knives, according to multiple groups that monitor terrorism and persecution, by Islamist militants in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – and yet the world remains mostly silent.
The 70 Christians were first rounded up by Islamist rebels from the Allied Democratic Forces, a group affiliated with the terror group Islamic State, or ISIS, according to Open Doors U.S., which monitors Christian persecution around the world. The Christians, reportedly all from the Lubero district, were forced out of their homes allegedly early in the morning of Feb. 13, with the rebels shouting, “Get out, get out.”
Conclusion
While there are reports of many Christians being Killed recently in North Kivu in Congo, it’s necessary to clarify that the image attached to that claim was a 2024 photo, which is not recent.
