The east is not a footnote
Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 placed the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 29 — its highest rank on record — driven by violence in the east. The Allied Democratic Forces, aligned with Islamic State, have repeatedly attacked Christian communities, churches, and overnight vigils.
In July 2025, an assault on a church vigil killed 38 people. It was not an isolated night. ADF operations around Beni, Ituri, and neighboring territories have emptied parishes, abducted civilians, and left local clergy to bury their own with almost no international presence that can hold overnight.
Relief agencies that do reach the east work under the sufferance of armed groups. That is not a criticism of their food and medical mandates. It is the reason CSA² does not duplicate those mandates. The gap is protection that saves lives: documentation, legal work, and the partners who will still be there when the convoy leaves.