As reported by the National Catholic Reporter on 13 April 2020, one of the underreported aspects of the violence in the Sahel region is the
ongoing targeting of Christians and their places of worship. The attacks by various jihadist groups are most intense in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso and are threatening to drive Christians out of their homes for good. Recent attacks along the borders between Burkina Faso, Benin, Ivory Coast and Ghana show that Islamic militant violence could spread throughout West Africa.
Yonas Dembele, Persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "Governments in West Africa have long been at risk of losing territory and influence to violent Islamic militants. The impact of COVID-19 is posing an even greater security risk now: With African states now focused on combatting COVID-19, militant groups such as Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda, JNIM, ISGS and Boko Haram are all busy exploiting the situation by recruiting new followers and declaring they will escalate attacks. This is of grave concern for Christians in the region: In northern Burkina Faso alone, at least 200 churches have been forced to close their doors in the last few years as a result of militant group activities."
Yonas Dembele adds: "It should not be forgotten that "˜al-Qaeda and Islamic State groups are working together in West Africa to grab large swaths of territory", as reported by The Washington Post on 21 February 2020 citing sources in both the USA and Africa. This could irreversibly change the conflict dynamics in the region. While the battle against the spread of COVID-19 is a global fight of the century, it is also critical for individual countries falling further under the influence of radical Islamic militants to make sure that they have a sound and viable strategy for combatting the jihadists as well."
