Africa is not a country, but a continent of 54 independent governments. Persecution takes a different form in every one. The following article is an overview of the situation in Africa. For 13 years, Rae Burnett, Africa director for Christian Aid, has traveled extensively throughout North Africa, the Sahel, and Sub-Saharan Africa, meeting with many persecuted believers. All the stories featured were personally related to her by those involved.

By Rae Burnett

In the Maghreb: Morocco, Western Sahara, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania

The constitution of every North African country mandates Islam as its religion and Arabic as the official language. Conversion is forbidden. Schools are Islamic. Believers are in real danger. Yet each one is quietly and faithfully going "about their Father’s business," bringing people to Christ and discipling them.

HALIMA and her daughter, Sara, came to know the Lord through an indigenous underground missionary in a country that cannot be named for security reasons. Halima's Muslim husband divorced her and threw her out. He kidnapped Sara and had Halima imprisoned for confessing Christ.

Because of her degree in childhood education, the judge unexpectedly released Halima after some months and awarded her custody. Both are overflowing with joy because they have Christ and each other. They certainly have little else. Their one tiny, windowless room with no water, a lone lightbulb illuminating the mildewed walls is in the basement of Halima’s family home. Her siblings will not allow them to live upstairs unless she recants her faith.

The unventilated, plumbing-free "kitchen," is located next to Halima's bed in the basement of their Muslim family house.

Abdulatif and his family live in one room of the house of his Muslim father and new bride. He and wife, Fati, shared how they quietly read Bible stories and sing Christian songs with their five children every day. They know they are raising five indigenous missionaries.

Halima, Abdulatif, Fati, their children, and all who are known or suspected to be Christians are watched constantly. Many report failed attempts to kill them. Most know martyrs and those who have suffered far more than they.

No one will employ them. Halima is very creative and prays to be trained as a tailor. Abdulatif is slightly crippled and longs for a motorcart to earn some money making deliveries. These simple things would change their lives dramatically, but they are completely out of their reach.

Even as you read this, many of our brothers and sisters are secretly imprisoned, tortured or killed. Many "just disappear," never to be seen again. Some are sentenced by courts and can be visited and encouraged. Many are never freed. Others are just unceremoniously poisoned by their families. Some are hacked by knives, blinded, castrated... the list of horrors goes on and on.

Pray. Give through Christian Aid, which is in touch with hundreds of underground workers. They need Bibles, cassettes, vehicles for the work, funding for businesses, agricultural projects, feeding programs, wells... the list of opportunities to open doors for the gospel also goes on!! (500IUCN)

Success story: This land was desert until gifts from Christian Aid donors provided funds to an indigenous North African missionary for a well, seeds and fencing for this project. Forty families in this desperately poor area work the farm and are supported by its yield. Many have become Christians as they experienced the love of Christ in such a practical way.

In the Sahel: Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan

These countries form a narrow belt dividing or joining, depending on the point of view, North and sub-Saharan Africa. Four of the six are on the UN list of the 10 poorest nations; all are in the bottom 20.

Typical African village boy with no hope for the future. Will the marabouts carry him away from his life in this garbage dump? (500RCD)

SENEGAL, MALI, BURKINA and NIGER are secular Islamic states, meaning they are predominately Muslim, but not under Shar’ia (Islamic law). Persecution is usually from family and neighbors, who often ostracize Christians, causing real hardship in such poor countries. Islamic brotherhoods are radical and target believers whom they threaten with death. They must be hidden and protected for years while they grow and strengthen in their faith. Very rich, these brotherhoods are buying up interests in necessary goods and services (fuel, cooking gas, food imports, etc.) in order to control the country’s economy.

Christian schools are allowed, but extremely rare, as believers are poor. Though the public school is not Quranic, teachers are Muslim, the Quran is studied and prayers are observed.

There are thousands of miles throughout these countries where there are no churches. Millions of souls are dying without ever having heard the name of Jesus.

Christian Aid assists indigenous ministries in these Sahelian countries whose converts are often in danger. Many threats have come to an orphanage which saves abandoned children from victimization by the marabouts. These Islamic witchdoctors collect children from villages and virtually enslave them, forcing them to beg by day and memorize the Quran at night. The orphanage also shelters persecuted converts, as they help with the children during their discipleship.

Cheikh, a 9-year-old boy, escaped a marabout "warehouse." He ran for help to foreign missionaries he had seen. They were afraid and sent him to an indigenous ministry leader, who led him to Christ and has protected him for three years now. 522LMA

CHAD is approximately 50 percent Islamic. Muslim converts can be killed if not protected.

Malia had been enslaved, beaten and abused from childhood by the family that took her in when her parents died. When an indigenous missionary assisted by Christian Aid told her the good news, she was overjoyed and immediately accepted Christ. Her “family” threatened to kill her, so she went into hiding during her discipleship and attended an African school of missions. Though still in danger, she is back in Chad now, having great success among Shuwa Arab women. (512SAP)

How to help? Native Sahelians are remarkably open to the gospel now, and missionaries tell us this is the time for harvest. Pray and send support for missionaries, children, needed equipment, vehicles, and projects, such as schools, churches and business ventures, to help them become self-supporting. (500AIM)

Northern SUDAN is Islamic and has systematically killed well over a million Christians in the past 20 years. Rae Burnett (photo left), visited non-Muslims, forced by the government into a camp outside of Khartoum because they refuse to convert. Removed from their home villages where they lived for generations with the know-how to farm, hunt, and build with local materials, they are unprepared to eke a living from unfamiliar and inhospitable surroundings. They are slowly starving to death.

A separate constitution for the non-Islamic south has finally stopped the outright warfare against believers there, including the bombing of relief centers, schools and hospitals. (514PERS)

In Sub-Sahara: The 41 remaining African nations

This is one of the churches planted by a persecuted Fulani missionary family.

Other than Somalia and Djbouti, where Christianity is not tolerated, there are no Islamic governments, but Muslim missionaries are invading every country with billions of dollars from the Middle East, Pakistan and Libya. They build beautiful mosques, schools, hospitals and clinics, dig wells and distribute food. African presidents make secret financial deals and throw open the doors of their nations to foreign Islamic governments.

Many convert for desperately needed material benefits, and Islam is steadily growing. No cultural change is required. Converts still practice witchcraft and polygamy and merely add going to the mosque. It is easy to get into Islam, but forbidden to get out. Throughout Africa where there is Islam, there is persecution. The form depends on what the government will permit. Here are a few typical cases:

NIGERIA: In the past few years, churches have been burned and thousands of Christians murdered. Shar’ia has been declared in 12 of 36 states. Christians must obey laws of dress and conduct or face imprisonment.

This July one Fulani chief and his family became Christians. Villagers burned their house, and they barely escaped. Another Fulani convert was falsely imprisoned and then poisoned, but lived. Three of his eight children were murdered. He and his remaining family are all missionaries today.

Christian Aid takes seriously our calling to build the kingdom of God through identifying and assisting indigenous ministries making the gospel known and discipling believers in areas where there are no living churches. The harvest is waiting. Your prayers and financial contributions to the work in Africa will encourage and greatly facilitate their work. Project proposals are available.

Believers are VERY rare in the Muslim Kanuri tribe. Two Kanuri families have recently come to Christ. Threatened with death, they have run for protection to a ministry assisted by Christian Aid. (522LMA)

BENIN: The picture at left shows missionaries in one of two of Christ's Power Ministries' six schools of missions destroyed by Muslim fanatics. Though by far most of Africa’s persecution comes from Islam, there are at least two other persistent sources: village culture and religion, and nominal Christianity.

The picture to the right is a CPM church shattered by local villagers, who see Christianity as a threat to idol worship and witchcraft. Missionary families are often intimidated with death threats and use them as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of God that alone can overcome satanic power. Many have been won to Christ when they understand Christ sets them free from powerful demonic oppression and control. (548CPM)

BURUNDI: Throughout Africa, denominational churches planted by foreign missionaries, though they have FAR better buildings and finances, are losing members to indigenous churches that preach the gospel and overflow with the life of Christ. These older “churches” have official standing with the government and often ruthlessly persecute Christians.

When the leaders of one such Burundian church falsely accused Wilson, a native gospel worker, of stealing $2000, he was convicted and thrown into prison. The church shown left was planted by him. See associated story here. (576MCM)

MALAWI: Abdul is a former Muslim holy man who converted to Christianity as he was publicly debating against it. He has been imprisoned, poisoned, and threatened with death. He and his family are now in seclusion, along with other converts he has brought to the Lord. This represents what is happening in scores of countries throughout Africa; conversion from Islam = death. (584CDM)

TOGO: Christopher Djatta was one of the first of the Islamic Kotokoli tribe to follow Christ. Muslim leaders told him he would NEVER live to see the year 2000. Now working among 11 unreached Islamic tribes, he and his co-workers face death daily in this dangerous field. (546WFC)

ERITREA: With a population that is approximately half Muslim, persecution began when Eritrea’s entrenched religious leaders of the Orthodox, Lutheran, and Catholic churches encouraged the Communist-leaning totalitarian dictatorship to forbid believing Christians to worship, even in their homes. Today, it is full-blown and enthusiastically and systematically carried out, as believers report severe and increasing persecution, including imprisonment, torture and death of men, women and children. "The government has special task forces to hunt us from our offices, homes, underground and on the street. Their aim is to eradicate Christianity by publically killing believers, murdering them in front of their peers and families. Many Christian brothers and sisters are in prison. The government is demanding they renounce their faith."

"And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

"And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." Revelation 6:10-11 KJV