By Uzay Bulut, Frontpage. (Photo: Vincent Lockhart/Unsplash)
Yet another jihadist attack in north Cameroon has led to the kidnapping of two Christians.
Boko Haram terrorists reportedly abducted the Christians on August 10 when they targeted the village of Mahoula in Mayo-Sava Division, an area notorious for the terror group’s attacks and its splinter operations because of its proximity to the border with Nigeria. The victims come from two different churches.
Jihad is spreading across Cameroon, augmenting the climate of fear that many felt already.
Since 2014, despite ongoing military operations by Cameroon’s security forces, Islamic terrorists have increasingly targeted the wider northern region with kidnappings, raids, looting, destruction of property and mass killings. These jihadist groups aim to establish sharia law and Islamic supremacy.
The Far North Region of Cameroon is predominantly Muslim, unlike the southern and western parts of the country, which are mostly Christian. While Muslims form the majority in the north, the region also includes Christian communities.
Open Doors, an organization that monitors Christian persecution on a global scale, ranks Cameroon at number 37 on its World Watch List, highlighting the extreme dangers and pressures Christians face in the country: “The Muslims do their trade, live well, get married and do as they wish. But us Christians, we can’t, unless we flee from here,” said Adam from Cameroon, who was kidnapped by Boko Haram. “Today, we flee to one village, tomorrow to another. To date, we are on the run. We are not certain about the places we can live.”
Christians in the north face severe threats, including abductions, forced conversions, and attacks on churches. Terror groups abduct Christian women and girls, forcing them into marriage, sexual slavery, or even using them as suicide bombers. Christian men face the threat of execution, forced labor, or conscription into armed groups. Church leaders, students, and teachers are targets. Schools remain unsafe, as mission schools are attacked and clergy kidnapped.