Christian flee violence in Burkina Faso
Churches in western Africa are being left abandoned as Christians flee increasing violence from armed Jihadist groups. Over one million people are now displaced in Burkina Faso in what the UN Refugee Agency has labelled “the world’s fastest-growing humanitarian and protection crisis”.
Persecution watchdog Open Doors says while the violence is not limited to Christians, there is no doubt that they are specifically targeted. A pastor reports that there are no open churches in the north-eastern triangle of Burkina Faso, with Christians fleeing to refugee camps or safe cities.
An Open Doors analyst says Christians have been identified by their names or by wearing crosses and killed. Others have been murdered when militants stormed their church services, while a number of pastors and their families have been abducted.
Source: vaticannews.va
