Washington (IDEA) – The international aid organization for persecuted Christians “The Voice of the Martyrs” (VOM/Diestimme der Martyrer – in Germany “Hilfsaktion Martyrerkirche”) has included four African countries in its prayer guide for 2023. This is reported by the Internet platform Christian Post (Washington). The states are Benin, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique and Niger.
The prayer manual lists 64 countries – from Afghanistan to Yemen (German spelling: Yemen) – in which Christians are hostile. “The continued spread of radical Islam on the African continent increases the daily danger to our Christian brothers and sisters there,” said VOM US spokesman Todd Nettleton. According to him, the persecuted Christians primarily ask that Christians in free countries pray for them.
According to the organization, in Congo (Central Africa), the churches in the eastern parts of the country are “under enormous pressure”. Islamist groups raided villages, destroyed churches and killed Christians. Looking at Mozambique (Southeast Africa), it is said that Islamic extremists have exploited a crisis in the coastal province of Cabo Delgado. In 2017, a civil war began over the area, which is rich in gas, rubies, graphite, gold and other mineral resources.
In West African Niger, radical Islamists from surrounding countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, increasingly attacked Christians in the country. In Benin (West Africa), jihadist violence increased in the second half of last year, according to the organization International Christian Concern (Washington).
