A report made by the Russian Orthodox Church concludes that African Christians are the most exposed to persections at present. 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”, mentions the document. 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 the Boko Haram terrorist group, which has been attacking Christians since 2010.
The report also notes that in Somali, Kenia and other neighboring countries Christians are persecuted by Al-Shabaab terrorist group. The terrorists mainly attack intercity buses, where they divide Muslims and Christians and kill the latter.
The report is entitled On Situation of Christian Population in Africa, it was drafted by the Synodal Department for External Church Relations and it is published on the website of the Moscow Patriarchate.
The authors stress that humanitarian aid is most urgent for Ethiopia and Nigeria, while Christians in other African countries need informational support to draw the attention of the global community to the problem of persecutions against Christians.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons / Steve Evans
