On Sunday, 25 February 2024, at least 15 believers were killed during morning mass at the Catholic Church in north-eastern Burkina Faso.
Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo, vicar-general of the Catholic Diocese of Dori, where the attack happened, shared the following in a statement:
“In the morning, at 8 o’clock, Christians were gathered in the chapel for the Sunday mass. Suddenly, some men arrived on motorcycles. They opened fire on the Christians in the chapel, only targeting the rank of men and shot them all. 13 died on the spot; two were seriously injured. They succumbed to their injuries once transported to the clinic. A little boy who was sitting by his dad’s side was also killed. The only two men who survived were those sitting with the women because they were part of the choir. The [extremists] then got back on their motorcycles, leaving the survivors in shock.”
“In this painful circumstance, we invite you to pray for those who died in faith, for the healing of the wounded, and for the consolation of grieving hearts,” Sawadogo shared.
Our local partners have shared this additional prayer request: “Please pray for the attackers; pray that they will meet Jesus and repent of these wicked attacks. May this incident not be in vain, and pray that God will use it to grow and strengthen the Church in northern Burkina Faso.”
Sub-Saharan Africa: The new hotbed of Islamic extremism
Central Mali and northern Burkina Faso are now seeing some of the worst violence recorded, following the departure of French troops from both countries. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most violent place for Christians as Islamic extremism continues to spread.
At least two million Burkinabe (citizens of Burkina Faso), one in 10, have been internally displaced due to insecurity in the country, and at least 800,000 people are effectively living under an Islamic extremist group siege.
“pray for those who died in faith... for the consolation of grieving hearts”
Abbot Jean-Pierre Sawadogo
“Burkina Faso has, in previous years, been known for religious tolerance and social cohesion amongst people; however, the growing Islamic insurgency threatens the peaceful coexistence of the Burkinabe. Christians have been disproportionately impacted by the growing extremism in the north of the country, with churches and Christian communities singled out in attacks, while Muslims who do not side with the Islamic extremist groups have also significantly suffered”, explains Jo Newhouse, Open Doors spokesperson for the work in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Open Doors started working in Burkina Faso in 2019 as extremist violence increased rapidly. Our vision is to see the Church increasingly able to respond biblically to persecution by spiritually empowering its members and caring for the most affected through persecution preparedness training, emergency relief, and trauma care.
please pray
- Pray for the church in northern Burkina Faso, that God will be their Comforter.
- Pray for church leadership, that God will give them wisdom in how to minister to the affected in this difficult time.
- Pray for the faith of believers in northern Burkina Faso, that these things will only strengthen their trust in God and that they will not grow weary or feel overwhelmed by what is happening around them.
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