Epicenter of persecutions against Christians has moved from the Middle East to Africa - report

Moscow, April 28, Interfax - Christians are more exposed to persecutions in Africa than in the Middle East, experts of the Russian Orthodox Church arrive at such a conclusion in their report On Situation of Christian Population in Africa.

"For the recent years, the epicenter of persecutions against Christians has moved from the Middle East to Africa. Situation in Nigeria causes the greatest concerns. This country holds the first place in the world for its level of anti-Christian violence", the document of the Synodal Department for External Church Relations says as it is posted on the Moscow Patriarchate official website.

According to the expert data, in 2020, the level of persecutions against Christians in Nigeria increased by a third compared to 2019: Nigeria accounted for 91% of all murders of Christians in the world (4,333 deaths out of 4,761). The main threat to Christians is theBoko Haramterrorist group, which has been attacking Christians since 2010.

The report also notes that in Somali, Kenia and other neighboring countries Christians are persecuted byAl-Shabaabterrorist group. The terrorists mainly attack intercity buses, where they divide Muslims and Christians and kill the latter.

The authors of the report stress that the question of providing humanitarian aid is most actual for Ethiopia and Nigeria, while Christians in other African countries need Russia’s informational support to draw the attention of global community to the problem of persecutions against Christians.