Religious Terror
On February 25, 2024, 15 Catholic parishioners who had gathered for prayer in Essakane Village, in the department of Dori, were killed. Pastor David Ouédraogo in Nasré was forced to interrupt Sunday school in the Kongoussi church region. Armed men proclaimed that Jesus was dead and that Mohammed was now the leader to be followed. As a result of this incident, all Christians fled the village.
A similar incident occurred in Bondoukuy in the province of Mouhoun, where armed men interrupted the Easter celebrations in 2023 and ordered the church to be converted into a Quranic school. The Christians were forced to convert and subsequently left the region. Often, Christians have no choice but to flee.
They then find themselves in refugee camps with no foreseeable prospect of returning. They try to make their place of refuge their new home and build new lives. In this context, there is a great need for support in the areas of starting a business, re-enrolling children in school, and educating women. In places controlled by terrorists, Christians must live their faith in secret. They grow beards and adapt their clothing to conceal their identity.
