Christians Face ‘Silent Genocide’ In Africa, Observers Say
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
WASHINGTON/MAPUTO (Worthy News) – Militants allied with the Islamic State group (ISIS) are carrying out brutal attacks against Christians in central and southern Africa, including mass killings often through beheadings, as well as the destruction of churches and homes, investigators say. Advocacy groups and international officials warn of a growing crisis that they suggest is ignored by much of the world.
The Washington D.C.-based Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reports that Islamic State fighters released images of raids on Christian communities in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province. In one attack, six Christians were beheaded in Natocua village, while additional killings occurred in the Chiure district, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The recent violence came after elsewhere in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), ISIS-linked fighters “massacred” up to 49 persons during a prayer service, Christian said.
Last month’s attack at a Catholic church in the town of Komanda in Ituri province reportedly began while the parish was celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Most victims were believed to be Catholics. Nine children were among the dead, while others were abducted, sources said. Mass graves were dug with United Nations machinery to bury the victims, witnesses said.
MEMRI Vice President Alberto Miguel Fernandez described the attacks as part of a “silent genocide” against Christians. He warned that ISIS affiliates are expanding across Africa, exploiting ungoverned areas to build a caliphate.
ANTI-CHRISTIAN ATTACKS
He also criticized the U.B. for allegedly avoiding references to the anti-Christian nature of the violence. “Christians are not going to be asked to join. Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed,” Fernandez said.
Open Doors UK, an international Christian advocacy group, confirmed the massacre in Komanda and said more than 80 Christians were killed in other attacks in July alone.
The group estimates that over 16 million Christians have been displaced across Sub-Saharan Africa due to jihadist violence.
A White House spokesperson said the U.S. “condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians” and remains committed to advancing peace and defending religious freedom globally.
Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican also condemned the killings, while U.S. Senator Jim Risch said the attacks make the peace process “even more urgent” and called for greater efforts to eliminate ISIS-affiliated terror groups.
Open Doors UK CEO Henrietta Blyth described the situation as a “crisis of biblical proportions,” noting that many Christians now sleep in the jungle to avoid nighttime attacks.
‘NOTHING LEFT’
“This is a silent slaughter… and nobody seems particularly concerned,” she stressed.
Judith, a church worker who visited the massacre site, said in published remarks that “many victims had previously fled” violence elsewhere.
“They have nothing now,” she told Open Doors UK. “There was sadness upon sadness everywhere.”
She stressed that past peace accords have failed and called on the U.S. to pressure regional powers like Uganda and Rwanda to withdraw forces she claims contribute to instability.
“The peace we need is with the ADF,” she said, referring to the ISIS-backed Allied Democratic Forces.
Local sources say no arrests have been made, and villagers fear another attack at any moment.
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