Christians fear of assault amid protests and increasing violence in Niger
There have been scenes of urban guerrilla warfare for several days in Niamey due to the 'confinement' measures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The measures that affect, in particular, the closure of mosques and the curfew from 7 pm to 6 am the following day, have provoked, right from the beginning, protests on behalf of some citizens”, says Mauro Armanino, a missionary of the Society of African Missions (SMA).
Speaking to Agenzia Fides, he continued that on the night of 19th of April, in various districts of the capital, there were protests. According to some testimonies, stones were thrown at a pastor’s house, adjacent to the Protestant temple. Not far from a church, already destroyed in the past, some tires were set on fire. In both cases, the police intervened to disperse the demonstrators,” reports the missionary.
According to Fr. Armanino “the sense of unease expressed by a fringe of the young population expresses various feelings ranging from skepticism towards the existence of the disease to the identification of the disease itself with the Christian West.”
“In a few days, the beginning of Ramadan, the holy month of Muslims, will be celebrated. The risk of an uprising that also implies attacking churches is possible,” the missionary concluded.
On the 12th of April, the government extended Niamey’s confinement to the rest of the country, as well as declaring a state of emergency and imposing a curfew, from 7 pm to 6 am. Places of worship and schools are closed.
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Photo: public domain