16. Congo Christmas Massacre of 2008 was a cowardly act that saw 620 people murdered
The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) is a Christian terrorist organization that operates in East Africa. Amongst its human rights atrocities are the use of child soldiers, murder, torture, rape, and child prostitution. Their supposedly Christian values also didn’t stop them specifically targeting the Christmas period as the best time to kill as many people as possible who had gathered to celebrate the Birth of Christ – the most important event in the Christian calendar. The massacre of 2008 was carried out in retaliation to the Ugandan Army attacking the LRA’s headquarters on December 14th, and naturally targeted innocent people.
The LRA split into several groups, and dispersed around the Haut-Uele district of DR Congo, where several defenseless villages lay. Lying in wait until Christmas Eve, when people had gathered into large groups with nothing but peace on their minds, the LRA launched its attacks with appalling brutality. Victims were beheaded, hacked to death with axes, or simply burned alive in their homes. The LRA also abducted at least 20 children to fight in their army. Despite the usual widespread verbal condemnation, repercussions have been shockingly few for the LRA, who still operate in East Africa today.