Ignored and Forgotten: The Unspoken Genocide of Christians in Africa
The Deafening Silence: Christians Slaughtered by Jihadists in Africa and Beyond, and the World’s Inexcusable Indifference
The brutality being inflicted on Christians across Africa and the Middle East is beyond comprehension—and yet, the silence from the international community is not just passive; it is complicit, shameful, and unforgivable. In Nigeria alone, more than 62,000 Christians have been mercilessly slaughtered in the past decades by groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. Entire villages are wiped off the map, churches turned to ash, and families left broken and buried. The recent discovery of 70 Christians beheaded in a church in the DRC is the latest horrifying reminder of the escalating violence systematically targeting Christian communities.
But this act of savagery was preceded by another shocking wave of killings: another report, at least 89 Christians were slaughtered by the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) in north-eastern DRC, including the brutal massacre of 28 people in just one day on 2 February. The bloodshed continues to mount as the ISCAP wreaks havoc across the region, having killed at least 237 Christians since Christmas 2024 alone. These heinous acts are not isolated incidents but part of a terrifying and ever-expanding campaign of persecution. And yet, the world has failed to respond with the urgency this crisis demands.
In a horrifying incident in March 2024, extremist groups in northern Nigeria kidnapped approximately 687 people, including women and children. This mass kidnapping underscores the escalating threat to Christian communities in the region, where children are often taken from their homes, schools, or churches. These young victims endure forced conversions, indoctrination, and severe abuse. The international community's silence on this crisis is deafening. Immediate action is imperative to protect these vulnerable children and prevent further atrocities.
In the first half of 2024, the Islamic State (ISIS) intensified its persecution of African Christians, resulting in the deaths of 698 individuals across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Mali. The majority of these fatalities occurred in the DRC, where ISIS's Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed responsibility for 639 deaths, primarily through beheadings and shootings. In Mozambique, ISIS's Mozambique Province (ISMP) reported 29 Christian deaths, with a significant number of homes, churches, and schools burned. Nigeria's Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) accounted for 23 Christian deaths, while Mali's Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) reported 4, and Cameroon's Far North region saw 3 Christian murdered.
In Tanzania, Christians, particularly in the coastal and western regions, face increasing challenges and persecution, often due to the rise of Islamic extremism in some areas. While the country is generally known for its peaceful coexistence between religious communities, tensions have been rising, especially in Zanzibar and parts of the mainland. Christians in these areas sometimes face attacks from Islamist militants, such as those linked to the al-Shabaab group, who target religious institutions, leaders, and individuals. In addition, there have been reports of discrimination in education and employment, as well as societal pressure to convert or suppress religious practices
The United Nations and Human Rights groups, tasked with standing against atrocities and preventing genocide, has remained eerily silent as the death toll continues to rise. Worse still, there have been reports of UN peacekeeping forces indirectly aiding militant groups—whether through incompetence or outright collusion—leaving civilians, especially Christians, vulnerable to increasingly violent attacks. In their latest statement, marking the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, they claimed the reason for radical jihadism was due to "inequality and injustices,” justifying the crimes and trying to turn the murderers into victims.
The United Nations’ complete failures in protecting vulnerable populations can be seen worldwide, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Nigeria. From sexual exploitation, including abuse against children, to colluding with the terrorists, the UN complicity are staggering. In Congo, UN peacekeepers have been accused of turning a blind eye to atrocities committed by armed groups like the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who have terrorized Christian communities. Some reports even suggest that UN personnel may have colluded with these groups or failed to intervene as civilians were massacred. Similarly, in Nigeria, the UN’s response to Boko Haram’s reign of terror has been complicity, with humanitarian aid being mismanaged or diverted, assisting the terrorists organizations.
And you can’t ignore the hundreds of billions funneled to these terrorists by USAID. Recent reports have surfaced documenting how the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have funded terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, through disguised as “humanitarian aid” programs in regions like northeastern Nigeria. Claims that have triggered an investigation by the Nigerian Parliament into the reports. U.S. Congressman Scott Perry claimed that approximately $697 million annually, along with cash shipments, were funneled to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other extremist groups.
The media, too, plays a direct role in perpetuating this silence. These atrocities are hidden behind a veil of indifference, buried beneath a constant stream of irrelevant news and a sick obsession with Israel. Why is the murder of 70 Christians in a church not headline news? Why aren’t the bodies of men, women, and children, slaughtered in cold blood, seen for the horrific tragedy that they are? The suffering of these people is being ignored, and every moment of silence only allows these atrocities to continue unchecked.
Where is the outrage? Where is the condemnation from those who should be stepping in to protect the most vulnerable? Where are the calls for justice for those slaughtered in their churches, villages, and homes? Not even the Vatican or the Pope say a word. How is it that human rights organizations, which claim to be the defenders of the persecuted, remain eerily silent while jihadist violence escalates and the bodies of Christians pile up in unmarked graves? These organizations’ reluctance to confront jihadist terror head-on only emboldens the perpetrators. Their silence, their refusal to act, makes them complicit in these crimes. Their failure to take a stand is a disgrace.
The world cannot afford to remain passive while jihadists systematically slaughter innocent people in cold blood. The international community must stop hiding behind diplomatic platitudes and silence. No more inaction. No more complicity. The blood of the innocent cries out for justice, and the world must wake up before it’s too late.
Islam has returned to its roots as a revolutionary movement out to conquer the whole world. Jihadis supported by Arab states like Qatar and Saudi Arabia should be met by boycotts, oil cutoffs and disconnection of their airlines from the West.
…and now, Syria. And you thought Assad was bad. The pigs in charge now are worse by an order of magnitude.