Viral Video of Detainees in DR Congo Shared With False Enslavement Claims

A video of shirtless men with hands tied behind their backs walking under armed guard was posted on X by the account FanKarolineLeavitt on June 23 and by Dr Maalouf on June 25. The two posts together received nearly four million views and claimed the footage showed Muslims enslaving Black Christian Africans.

France 24 reported that the identical video was first published on May 14 by the X account of Kivu Morning Post.

That outlet stated the video showed individuals from South Kivu detained in the Kunda region of Ituri province on suspicion of ties to armed groups. The Bashi community contested the account and claimed the detainees were targeted because they are Bashi.

Radio Okapi reported that more than one hundred civilians, mostly young people from South Kivu, were arrested by the army on May 13 in the village of Kunda.

Authorities suspected the detainees of belonging to groups characterized as subversive, an allegation not formally established, and identified them as agricultural and mining workers. The detainees were transferred to Bunia the next day and held at military headquarters awaiting interrogation. No local press reports mentioned any religious dimension or Arab Muslims enslaving Christians.

Congo Check previously debunked claims that the same video showed M23 fighters and traced the video to the arrests of civilians in eastern DR Congo.