Mali, a jihadist group decides to finance itself this way: it imposes a “religious tax” on Christians

ROMA – In Mali a new tax of 25 thousand CFA francs (about 40 dollars) was imposed on all Christians over the age of 18 in Douna-Pen, the largest Christian village in the east of Koro, in the province of Mopti, near the border with Burkina Faso. According to information provided by the NGO ACS from local sources, who requested anonymity for security reasons, the tax collector is an extremist group active in the region.

The jizya, or religious tax. It was imposed as a condition for being able to practice one’s religion. Refusal to pay or the inability to pay the amount requested may lead to the forced closure of places of worship. The first village where the extremists introduced it was Dougouténé, a northernmost town in the same region, and the fear that it could be imposed on other villages grew when Douna-Pen also began to face the same problem.

A fragile peace is over. Islamic extremists had previously called for the closure of Protestant and Catholic churches in Douna-Pen. For a time, during a fragile peace, residents were allowed to practice their faith, albeit without the use of musical instruments during worship. One of the confidential sources expressed deep concern about this escalation: «We should live in a secular state, where such practices should not take place, but unfortunately this is becoming our new reality. If the authorities do not act, the population will pay taxes directly into the coffers of the terrorists, who act under the banner of jihadism in the Republic of Mali.”

The last chapter in a story of violence. Douna-Pen is located in the municipality of Dioungani and has a significant Christian population. This recent case of financial extortion is the latest chapter in a history of violence and persecution that has engulfed the region. The situation is aggravated by the lack of basic infrastructure, such as roads and water supply, as well as the closure of schools due to lack of safety.

Deep divisions among the population. Jizya represents not only a violation of freedom of worship, but also a threat to the safety of the inhabitants of the villages where it is imposed. For this reason, there are fears that these forced payments to Islamic extremist groups could lead to deep divisions among the population, eroding trust in the government and further damaging the fragile stability of the region. Added to this is the obvious effect of strengthening the extremists, who will be able to make their action more effective thanks to financial revenues.