20 believers killed in Mozambique

A recent spate of deadly attacks in Mozambique has added to the trauma and fear of believers in the country. It coincides with a stark warning issued by Islamist militants to Christians in the broader region. Your prayers are urgently needed.

At least 20 believers have been killed after Islamist militants launched a wave of attacks on a Christian-majority village in Mozambique. The violence has left 1,300 homes and two churches destroyed, and displaced some 2,000 believers.

Military retreat invites danger

The onslaught happened earlier this month in Napala village, Chiúre district, in the country’s volatile northern Cabo Delgado province. The group colloquially known as al-Shabaab (Ahlu Sunnah wa Jama’ah) is believed to be responsible. Chiúre district has experienced several violent attacks this year.

According to a local pastor, the situation quickly deteriorated when the Defence and Security Forces (FDS) withdrew from fighting the insurgents. “Everything got worse when the FDS tried to intervene without success. When they fled, they left everything worse for those people,” said the pastor.

The observation was shared by a local community leader, who said, “Since the military were already in confrontation with terrorists, after they retreated, al-Shabaab continued with great fury and attacks which caused all houses to be destroyed.”

“We lament the sad death of four elderly sisters who were tied up and burnt inside a house by insurgents,” shared another pastor.

Christians targeted in newsletter warning

The attacks coincide with so-called Islamic State (IS) issuing in their weekly newsletter a warning to Christians in Africa, with reference to insurgencies in places like Mozambique.

“If the Christians of Africa wish to be safe and escape the cycle of killing, they should know that our pure Islam grants them the freedom to choose between three options. First: Islam – thus becoming our brothers in iman [faith], with the same rights and duties. Second: paying the jizya [poll tax] in humiliation and submission – thereby preserving their blood and living securely in their villages. And third: if they refuse both Islam and the jizya – then death and expulsion, which they have been experiencing and suffering for years.”

The editorial praises the group’s ‘jihad’ involving the targeting and killing of Christians in Mozambique and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), while inciting IS adherents in Europe to ‘exact’ what it calls a ‘divine verdict’ against Christians in their own regions.

• What’s it like to be a Christian in Mozambique?

“Enough of the bloodshed and suffering!”

Speaking to Open Doors, a source in Mozambique laments the government’s inactivity and censorship as Christians are intentionally targeted by Islamist militants, highlights the trauma and fear experienced by believers, and pleads with the global church to sit up and take notice of what is happening.

“It is heartbreaking to witness how the government of Mozambique is managing this ongoing conflict, and even more painful to see the current posture of the church in the face of these deep afflictions of Christ’s body,” the source shares.

“I believe that it is our shared responsibility, as members of the Body of Christ, to rise and declare: ‘Enough! Enough of the bloodshed and suffering!’ So many of our innocent brothers and sisters continue to endure persecution simply because they bear the name of Jesus.

“There is no doubt that the church remains the central target of these attacks. Hundreds of churches have been burned, countless Christians have been assaulted, and numerous violent incidents against followers of Jesus remain unreported and uninvestigated.

“The government has imposed strict control over conflict areas. Even normal areas are risky. They are prohibiting any photography or circulation of information. Anyone, whether a foreigner or a Mozambican, found with a phone capable of taking pictures risks arrest or confiscation. This climate of fear and silence allows the truth to be suppressed and the suffering to continue in the shadows.

“The church in Mozambique is enduring deep trauma. Many believers and leaders live with fear, intimidation and emotional exhaustion. Although there remains a genuine desire to serve Christ, fear continues to weaken the church’s public witness in many areas. But God’s working in these hotspot areas, in ways that are hard to explain.”

Speak out and pray

These attacks and developments reinforce the crucial importance of Open Doors’ ongoing Arise Africa campaign.

One very important way you can play your part is by signing the petition, which calls for justice, protection and restoration for those affected by rising violence. If you’ve signed it already, could you ask your family, friends and church to do the same?

And please continue to pray. If you’d like to join with others to pray into this urgent issue, we have a couple of events that you’re invited to. The first, on Wednesday (22 October), is a one-hour online event focusing on Arise Africa. The second is next month (Saturday 15 November) to mark International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. You can join a 12-hour vigil at Open Doors HQ in Oxfordshire, focusing on eight themes, including Arise Africa. You can drop in for as little or long as you’d like, and the evening session will be streamed online.

Thank you for continuing to stand with our persecuted family in Mozambique and across sub-Saharan Africa.