A deadly surge of religious violence has gripped northern Mozambique and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where ISIS-affiliated groups are targeting Christians through mass killings, beheadings, and arson.

According to Fox News, Islamist insurgents aligned with ISIS have killed dozens, decimated villages, and displaced tens of thousands in a growing wave of attacks described by observers as a “silent genocide” against Africa's Christian communities.

In northern Mozambique, fighters from the Islamic State Mozambique Province (ISMP) released a set of 20 photos reportedly showing coordinated assaults on Christian villages in Cabo Delgado province’s Chiure district. The photos showed militants burning churches, torching homes, and executing civilians, including two Christians and a man labeled as a member of a local militia.

Violence in the Chiure district intensified between July 20 and July 28, when more than 46,000 people were pushed from their homes, according to the United Nations' International Organization for Migration. Alarming is the fact that nearly 60% of those displaced were children, now living in displacement camps under dire conditions that prompted Doctors Without Borders to intervene.

The bloodshed continued southward in Cabo Delgado as well, where six Christians were reportedly beheaded in Natocua village in the Ancuabe district on July 22. Further killings were reported on July 24 and 25 in the Chiure district, when an additional three Christians were slaughtered.

Second Front Opens With Congo Massacre

While Mozambique grapples with its insurgency, similar violence erupted in Ituri province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. On July 27, fighters affiliated with the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) stormed into the Christian village of Komanda.

The attackers opened fire on a Catholic church and set fire to homes, stores, and vehicles, killing at least 45 people. The Congolese army identified the perpetrators as members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an extremist group that joined ISIS in 2019 and primarily operates in eastern Congo and neighboring Uganda.

Officials have warned that the ADF, whose stated aim is to establish an Islamist caliphate in Uganda, is spreading unrest in regions already vulnerable due to years of instability. The Komanda massacre reflected a growing capacity for coordinated, targeted violence against Christian civilians in areas with limited security presence.

Religious Hatred Driving the Bloodshed

Alberto Miguel Fernandez, vice president of the Middle East Media Research Institute, said the attacks reflected an orchestrated campaign driven by anti-Christian ideology. Speaking to Fox News Digital, he referred to the insurgency as “a silent, brutal, savage war” that is receiving little global attention.

He added that there is a growing threat that jihadist groups could seize control of entire countries in Africa. “That is dangerous—dangerous for the people there, dangerous for regional stability, dangerous even internationally,” Fernandez said.

The goal of these movements, according to Fernandez, appears to be the complete elimination of Christian communities. “Christians,” he added, “are not given the option to join. They are targeted specifically for eradication.”

Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Breaking Point

The domino effect of the violence is contributing to one of the continent's gravest humanitarian crises. The United Nations estimates that more than one million people have now been displaced by a mix of militant activity, climate stressors like drought, and natural disasters, including cyclones—a dangerous combination that continues to destabilize the region.

In Mozambique, the Islamist insurgency began roughly eight years ago, prompting an international military response. Rwandan troops are currently assisting the Mozambican government in operations aimed at suppressing jihadist elements in Cabo Delgado province.

However, the persistent violence has stymied economic development and investment. In 2021, French energy company TotalEnergies suspended a $20 billion offshore gas project due to mounting security concerns in the region, dealing a severe blow to local and national economic hopes.

Terror Tactics Include Child Abduction

ISIS-linked militants have expanded their methods beyond attacks on adults and physical infrastructure. Reports indicate that children have been kidnapped by fighters, either to be used as laborers or forcibly recruited as child soldiers—a tactic long seen in other conflict zones dominated by extremist actors.

These brutal tactics underscore the brutal reach of the insurgents, whose actions are designed not only to destroy existing Christian populations but to destabilize and control local communities through fear and forced assimilation.

Despite efforts from international donors and humanitarian groups, aid distribution remains inconsistent due to safety concerns, poor infrastructure, and continued threats from roaming militant cells.

Urgent Calls for Global Attention

Fernandez issued a strong plea for Western nations and international organizations to respond more forcefully to the crisis. He criticized what he saw as hesitancy from groups like the United Nations to openly acknowledge religiously motivated violence.

“They often shy away from addressing the anti-Christian hatred driving some of these atrocities,” he said. “That reluctance makes it easier for these radical groups to operate in the shadows.”

He emphasized the need to defeat jihadist groups thoroughly and visibly, saying that only a clear and total defeat would discredit their claim of divine legitimacy in the eyes of those on the fence or in vulnerable communities.

As violence escalates and entire Christian communities are targeted across central and southern Africa, the challenge remains how to ensure effective protection for civilians and how to refocus global attention on a crisis unfolding largely out of view—and dangerously unchecked.