Christians in Africa face worsening violence, report finds

A recent report from International Christian Concern (ICC) has revealed a disturbing rise in violence against Christians across parts of Africa, with Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Kenya experiencing a surge in attacks, abductions, massacres and compelled displacements.

The report, titled “Troubling Trends: Escalating Persecution of Christians in Africa,” was written by Linda Burkle and focuses on the primary 4 months of 2025, while also tracing violent trends inside the past twenty years.

Nigeria continues to be the deadliest country on the earth for Christians. The West African nation ranks seventh on the 2025 World Watch List by Open Doors, which tracks persecution globally.

The ICC reports notes that between July 2009 and March 2022, greater than 45,000 Christians were murdered by extremist groups equivalent to Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militants.

In 2022 alone, around 5,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria – greater than in the remaining of the world combined.

From 2015 to 2020, an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 Christians were murdered by Islamist militants, and over 2,000 churches were demolished. In 2021, some 3,800 Christians were abducted.

Regardless of the political change following President Bola Tinubu’s rise to power in 2023, the violence has continued, with 7,000 deaths estimated in 2023 alone.

Tinubu, a Muslim, had pledged to guide a more balanced and inclusive administration. However, his government has struggled to curb Islamist attacks, particularly in Nigeria’s northern and central regions, where Sharia law is in effect and Christians are highly vulnerable.

The report also details quite a few violent incidents from 2025.

One of probably the most horrifying attacks occurred on Palm Sunday, when Fulani extremists stormed a village and slaughtered no fewer than 54 Christians, including children, inside their very own homes, forcing your entire community to flee.

In March, Boko Haram killed Catholic priest Sylvester Okechukwu in Kaduna State, while one other attack in Kebbi State left 11 Christians dead.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the situation can also be growing more severe.

The country, once ranked forty first on the Open Doors World Watch List, rose to thirty fifth in 2025 following a spike in violence against Christians, largely driven by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a terrorist group aligned with ISIS.

In February, ADF militants beheaded 70 Christians, including women and kids, during a church service.

The violence has displaced hundreds of thousands within the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.

A March attack in Kirindera village left at least 19 people dead and several other buildings, including a clinic and hotel, burned to the bottom.

Another assault in January saw 53 Christians killed within the towns of Makoko and Masakuki.

The report blames a mixture of militant threats – including attacks by the M23 rebel group, family pressure against religious conversion, and political interference for making a dangerously unstable environment for Christians in eastern Congo.

Kenya, while not traditionally on the centre of persecution reports, has seen increasing violence in its northeastern regions.

These provinces, where Muslim Somalis make up the overwhelming majority, are considered hostile ground for Christians, with church activity severely restricted by local communities and government officials often turning a blind eye.

Converts risk their lives, often facing attacks from their very own families or neighbours.

The Somali-based terrorist group, Al-Shabab, now classified an “entity of particular concern” by the US State Department and the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, has carried out quite a few bombings and assassinations in coastal and northeastern Kenya.

The group particularly targets converts from Islam and missionaries.

Areas often targeted by attacks include Mombasa, Garissa, Mandera, and Lamu, where many believers have been forced to flee inland.

The Voice of the Martyrs reports that Christians in these areas face violent threats, social isolation, and pressure to return to Islam.

The attacks on converts often come from their very own families or neighbours.

Adding to the growing threats, Kenya has also seen cross-border activity from the Oromo Liberation Army, a gaggle operating out of Ethiopia that kidnapped two South Korean Christian missionaries, including two South Korean missionaries in 2024.

Corruption amongst local officials and the spread of radical ideologies have worsened the plight of believers.

Despite the severity of the crisis, neither Nigeria nor the DRC currently carry the US State Department’s “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) categorisation.

In response, on March 11, Representative Christopher Smith of New Jersey recommend House Resolution 220. The resolution is now under review by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

ICC President Jeff King urged Christians worldwide to pay close attention to the situation in Africa.

“The Church in Africa is facing a number of the most severe challenges of our time,” he said.

“We must not look away. These are our brothers and sisters.”

He also called for advocacy and political engagement, encouraging believers in democratic countries to contact their elected officials and push for international motion.