The Pope called the victims “martyrs” before calling for reconciliation. “May the blood of these martyrs become a seed of peace, reconciliation, fraternity, and love for the Congolese people,” Pope Leo said Joining the Pope's condemnation was the UN's Stabilization Mission in the DRC,

At least 21 people were killed on Sunday in an attack on church premises in eastern Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels, according to a civil society leader.

Islamic-backed rebels reportedly killed at least 43 people in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, including raiding a Catholic church early Sunday.

Dozens of people were killed on Sunday in an attack on a church in eastern Congo by a rebel group linked to the Islamic State.