‘Don’t forget us. Christians here are suffering’ – a spotlight on West Africa

Jan 21, 2022 by Jill

from Christian Today:

As Open Doors warns of the “Talibanisation” of West Africa, Christian Today speaks to the organisation’s senior analyst on freedom of religion and belief in sub-Saharan Africa, Illia Djadi, about the threat to Christians in the region.

CT: Why is there increasing concern around West Africa?

Illia: West Africa has become the new epicentre of international jihadism – especially around Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.

Islamic extremists are taking advantage of the fragility of these states – the absence of the state and good governance, poverty, their porous borders, a lack of education and so on – and they are using these to divide the countries along ethnic and religious lines.

In Burkina Faso, there is a dramatic humanitarian crisis with around 1.5 million people internally displaced, 3,000 schools closed and around half a million children out of education.

CT: How are Christians being affected?

Illia: Christians are the primary targets of the extremists because the extremists want to establish a caliphate and Islamic republic, and the Christians are targeted because they are not Muslim – although the jihadists are also targeting moderate Muslims.

Northern Burkina Faso has been emptied of its Christian population. Some have been killed, others have been forced to flee. Churches and schools have all been closed down.

Read here