Islamic extremists are gaining ground in Africa’s Sahel region and Afghanistan, which are set to become hotspots for Christian persecution in 2022. That’s according to the religious freedom charity Release International. Its new report warns India and North Korea are also “countries of growing concern.”
The Sahel region includes Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.
In 2021, jihadists targeted Christians in the north of Burkina Faso, forcing churches to close and meet in secret. The attacks ranged from bombings, killings, kidnappings and school burnings to assaults on religious leaders and places of worship.
Pressure in the region is likely to continue in 2022, particularly following the drawdown of French troops in the area.
The al-Qaeda and Islamic State terror groups have been launching attacks in West Africa since last January. In May, suspected jihadists ambushed a baptism ceremony where they killed 15 Christians in northern Burkina Faso’s Oudalan province near the Mali border.
The charity warns that attacks could escalate in 2022, as political campaigning gets underway ahead of the 2023 general election, just as attacks by Boko Haram and Fulani extremists have increased over election periods in the past.