PRAY FOR CAMEROON
– Pray for Christians who have endured unspeakable violence. Ask God to heal their wounds.
– Pray that God will be with the hurting believers in a powerful way.
– Ask God to bring an end to government corruption in Cameroon.
WORLD WATCH LIST
Cameroon
#43Amid extremist violence, conversion to Christianity is more dangerous than ever.
bottom"There is peace. But we don’t have farms to work in. Even finding food is very difficult.”
– Fadi Zara, a believer from northern Cameroon who has endured multiple attacks from Boko Haram
Country
Profile
- Region
- Africa
- Sources of persecution
- Islamic Oppression
- Population
- 29,394,000
- Christian population
- 17,128,000
- Religions
- Christianity
- Leader
- President Paul Biya
- Score
- 67
What’s Life Like For Christians?
Christians in Cameroon face pressure on multiple fronts. The most obvious one is violence and attack in regions of the country with a significant population of Muslim extremists. This is especially the case in the Far North region. Here, Islamic militants–specifically Boko Haram and Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP)–regularly attack, trying to carve out a caliphate in Cameroon’s most volatile region. Christians who live in these areas are targets for violence, including abduction, and murder. Converts from Islam are forced to practice their faith in secret, and owning Bibles or Christian books can be extremely dangerous. The violence has forced many churches to close, leaving some believers without a place of worship.
At the same time, all Cameroonians in affected areas suffer in the ongoing conflict between separatists and the nation’s government. This violence has created a massive humanitarian crisis. Christians caught in the middle have been accused by both sides of ‘harbouring the enemy’ and having their churches and property destroyed.
This year, although little changed in Cameroon, the pressure has increased. Boko Haram have continued to attack, and the threats from Islamic extremism have forced believers to live in fear.
The corruption in Cameroon’s government and institutions has made it difficult for Christians to depend on the rule of law for relief.
Who Is Most Vulnerable To Persecution?
For Christians in the Far North region, attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP are unrelenting. Converts from Islam are most at risk for pressure from family and community members. Boko Haram continues to regularly abduct women and girls, forcing them into marriage, sexual assault, and enslavement. Boko Haram also poses a major threat to Christian men and boys living in the northern regions of Cameroon, particularly church leaders. Men have been abducted by militant groups, tortured, and used for forced labour.
What Does Open Doors Do To Help?
Open Doors works through local partners to strengthen persecuted Christians in Cameroon by providing emergency relief aid, trauma care, economic empowerment projects, and spiritual care for new believers.
