The White House pledged to take action following a wave of brutal attacks on Christians in Africa, with the Trump administration saying it is working closely with the State Department to stop the violence.

The commitment comes after Islamist extremists killed 49 Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) during a church prayer service on July 27.

The attackers, linked to Islamic State (IS), used machetes to carry out the massacre.

Just weeks earlier, 27 more Christians were killed in a similar attack in Nigeria by armed Fulani militants.

A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital: “The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians.”

A State Department official added: “Religious freedom is a moral and national security imperative.”

Christian advocacy groups have described the killings as part of a growing campaign of religious cleansing across sub-Saharan Africa.

Open Doors USA reports that more than 16 million Christians have been driven from their homes in the past decade.

D’Young Mangut, a youth leader in Nigeria who helped bury the dead, said: “People are being killed like chickens, and nothing is being done.”

Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK, said: “We need justice, restoration, and protection for these communities. The world must wake up to this crisis.”

With attacks continuing in the DRC, Nigeria, and Mozambique, Christian leaders are urging international governments—especially the United States—to take urgent and decisive action.