Burkina Faso

How are Christians persecuted in Burkina Faso?

• Believers living in areas where militant groups are active risk being kidnapped, displaced or worse. Christians have been targeted and killed and churches destroyed. Because of jihadist activity, hundreds of churches have been closed. 
• Converts from an Islamic or traditional religious background face particular pressure and violence. Families sometimes beat them, force them to marry a Muslim, withdraw them from school and, in some instances, cast them out of the family or issue death threats. 
• Large numbers of pastors and their families have been abducted and remain in captivity, and some have even been killed.
• Christian women face rape, forced marriage, banishment and abduction, and face pervasive threats of death and abuse.    
• Many Christian men and boys flee the country due to the pressures they face.

Why are Christians persecuted in Burkina Faso?

• Over the last few years, Burkina Faso has risen sharply on the World Watch List owing to a spike in violence against followers of Jesus.
• The rise of violent Islamist extremists has forced Christians to flee, and even cities that used to be safe are now at risk of attack.

Who is particularly vulnerable in Burkina Faso?

• Currently, the government only controls about half the country. Christians living in areas controlled by Islamist militants are most likely to face violence and pressure for their faith in Jesus.
• Converts from Islam are also particularly vulnerable to persecution and intense pressure.

What has changed in Burkina Faso in the past year?

• Though Burkina Faso’s World Watch List ranking hasn’t changed, the situation continues to deteriorate. There have been increased attacks from Islamist extremists, including Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (JNIM). Since their goal is to create an Islamic caliphate, these groups regularly target Christians and Christian communities, forcing churches to close and destroying Christian schools.
• The violence has also caused severe displacement and food shortages, creating a significant humanitarian crisis in Burkina Faso that is affecting many followers of Jesus.
• Christians who have been driven from their homes by Islamist extremists face food insecurity, lack of protection and limited governmental or international support. 

How can I help Christians in Burkina Faso?

Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Burkina Faso. Your prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.

Open Doors works through local partners to strengthen Christians in Burkina Faso by providing persecution survival training, relief aid, and spiritual and trauma care.