The Human Rights Watch released a report last month revealing that over 250 people have lost their lives as a result of Islamic extremism in Burkina Faso. Attacks occurred in just nine months, between April and December 2019.
The report said that attackers sought to justify killings by linking victims to the government, the West, or Christian beliefs. Many lost their lives as they worshipped, transported aid to displacement camps, or even in their own villages and homes.
Researchers interviewed 54 victims and witnesses, and documented 20 attacks. One female witness said, “The Islamists ordered us to abandon Christianity and said if they returned to find us (the women) unveiled, they’d kill us.”
As the influence of Islamic extremism increases, more people are being displaced and losing access to basic services. The situation in Burkina Faso has been named by the United Nations as “one of the fastest-growing displacement crises in Africa” with at least 15,000 displaced in the country.
Despite not appearing on last year’s World Watch List, Burkina Faso ranked as the 28th most dangerous country to follow Jesus in 2020.
Please continue to pray for believers in Burkina Faso.
Pray For Burkina Faso:
- Pray for the safety and protection of believers.
- Pray for a resolution to the violence and for God’s peace over the region.
- Pray that believers will remain steadfast in God’s Word and continue to share the gospel.
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