Five parishes have been closed in six months in Burkina Faso

The situation in Burkina Faso is getting worse. After the death of twenty Christians in an attack in Bourasso, five parishes have been forced to close due to the threat of more terrorist attacks. The situation is so serious that even the smallest seminary in San Kisito has been transferred to Fada N’Gourma, the capital of the region.

The diocese of Fada N’Gourma has reported that robberies, kidnappings and murders have greatly intensified in the diocese in 2022. Of the sixteen parishes that make up the diocese, five have been directly targeted by violent attacks and have had to close completely for security reasons.

The reason is the Islamist terror that has been plaguing the country since 2015 and is spreading more and more. Although initially it seemed that the jihadists were not particularly interested in Christians, this has changed since 2019. Since the beginning of the crisis, populations have suffered violence, murders and abuses of all kinds. Many people are kidnapped, detained and others killed. Every day there are huge cattle raids. All this generates panic in the population and causes many people to flee. Many communities have become ghost towns because terrorists persecute them, intimidate them and do not let Christians carry out their daily tasks and work.

The report cites the testimony of a local priest, who narrates the modus operandi of the terrorists. On February 28, 2022, the town hall and the police station in the town of Tambaga (Tombaga) were set on fire. Within a few days, the terrorists surrounded the market and occupied the streets. The inhabitants were taken to the mosque and invited to convert to Islam: “Issa (Jesus) had come, but his mission is over. He promised that someone else would come as his successor, and that is Muhammad. After that, they went to burn down the Catholic high school, the city high school and a private school,” reports the priest. Thus, they try to force Christians to convert to Islam and annul their rights to freedom of faith.