What is the Arise Africa campaign?

Why is the Arise Africa campaign needed, what are its aims and how can you help persecuted Christians in sub-Saharan Africa?

Why is the Arise Africa campaign needed?

Millions of Christians face violent persecution for their faith in sub-Saharan Africa. According to Open Doors World Watch List research, over 90% of Christians killed for their faith last year were in sub-Saharan Africa. This rising violence is being driven largely by Islamist extremists taking advantage of political instability in the region.

The number of people affected and the area affected are both increasing rapidly. The region is facing a displacement crisis, with millions forced to flee their homes. Most of these people are living in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) either in their own country or in neighbouring countries. Many have lost their means of livelihood too, as Islamist militants – particularly in Nigeria – take their land.

And yet the world has not noticed.

In response, the African church is calling for their brothers and sisters around the world to help stop the violence and start the healing by joining them in the Arise Africa campaign. It aims to see that the global community acknowledges and acts against extreme violence and supports the church to persevere – and to be resilient, resourceful and influential.

How many Christians are displaced in sub-Saharan Africa?

According to Open Doors research, millions of Christians in sub-Saharan Africa are displaced by violence and conflict.

“Millions of Christians are displaced, here in Nigeria,” says Pastor Barnabas, who lives in an IDP camp in northern Nigeria with his family, having been forced to flee after Islamist militants killed his brother and sister-in-law and badly injured him. “Millions of Christians are displaced in Africa. The news doesn’t care about it, politicians don’t talk about it, governments don’t talk about it, global politics don’t talk about it. Nobody talks about it.”

The Arise Africa campaign aims to ensure people are talking about this crisis.

Are Christians displaced because of persecution?

Persecution is one of the major drivers of this displacement. It’s not possible to say that all displacement of Christians is because of their faith, but there is strong evidence that many of them have been specifically targeted for following Jesus.

“When the terrorists come to churches and find Christians, they tell them that Christianity’s time is over, and they should turn to the Islamist religion,” says Pastor Soré in Burkina Faso. He and his family had to flee Islamist militants, and now live in two tents in an isolated area with other vulnerable members from their community. “They warn Christians to stop conducting services. After warning, when they come back later and find you in the church, they kill you.”

Pastor Soré remains confident in Jesus. “I do believe that we are displaced, but Jesus is not and will never be displaced from our lives,” he says. “He is always with us.”

Is displacement the only thing affecting Christians in sub-Saharan Africa?

Displacement is certainly not the only way that Christians are experiencing persecution in sub-Saharan Africa, by any means. As well as forced displacement, Arise Africa wants to draw attention to the everyday risk of violence – particularly from Islamist militants targeting Christian communities.

For instance, Jemal* in Ethopia lost everything when Islamist radicals attacked his village. “In just one hour, they destroyed everything,” he says. “In a single day, they turned everything to ash.” This came on top of months of economic exclusion, often used as a weapon to marginalise and impoverish Christians in parts of sub-Saharan Africa – extreme Muslim clerics warned Muslims not to do business with believers, or even talk to them.

In the attack, at least 215 Christian homes were destroyed. Hundreds more, including Jemal, lost their means of livelihood. He and his family were forced from their homes – but they have stayed in the region. Open Doors partners have helped him with new machinery and materials to restart his businesses.

Which countries are affected?

Sub-Saharan Africa includes all African countries below North Africa, though Open Doors focuses its support on sub-Saharan African countries reporting ‘high’, ‘very high’ or ‘extreme’ levels of persecution in the World Watch List (per the World Watch List methodology) – that is, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Niger, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Comoros, Cameroon, Chad, Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Burundi, Rwanda, Togo, Guinea, Angola, Uganda, the Ivory Coast, Gambia, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and Guinea Bissau.

As the map below shows, this is a significant increase from ten years ago – violent persecution has risen sharply, and the landscape of religious persecution has changed drastically.

What are the aims of the Arise Africa campaign?

Arise Africa is a global campaign aiming to raise awareness, financial support, advocacy and prayer for Christians facing violent persecution in sub-Saharan Africa. The campaign does that by raising money for the work of local Open Doors partners, joining in prayer across the world, encouraging media to report on violence against Christians and launching the Arise Africa petition.

What can I do?

Pray: You can join in a month of prayer for the persecuted church in sub-Saharan Africa. When signing the Arise Africa petition, you’ll also have the opportunity to write a prayer to put on a virtual prayer tree.

Give: Your gifts to the Arise Africa campaign will help support persecuted and displaced Christians across the region.

Sign: You can sign the Arise Africa petition and share it with your church, friends and family to make sure people are talking about this displacement crisis. Our global aim is to reach a million signatures – you can help that happen.

How are local Open Doors partners helping Christians?

Open Doors local partners are starting the healing through emergency relief (food, clothing, hygiene products and medical care), emergency shelter for displaced Christians, training for church leaders to equip them to disciple believers, and trauma care and livelihood skills training to support long-term self-sufficiency. They also encourage displaced believers and show them that they’re not alone.

“The ministry first helped me with prayer that really comforted me,” says Pastor Soré. “In addition to the prayer support, the ministry helped me with seeds and fertilisers. It helped me to grow crops and feed my family members. They also helped us with food, including rice and oil. We wholeheartedly praise God for such blessings and thank the ministry.”

Thank you for helping to stop the violence and start the healing.

Arise Africa

*Name changed for security reasons